From Darkness Comes Light
by LadyEchoLynn
Summary: Thanks to Alice they knew years in advance that trouble was coming. Their whole world would be turned upside down and the safest place for them to make their stand would be in the tiny town of Forks, aligned with the Local Chief of Police and the Wolves of La Push. What fate will befall this united group of 'Vegetarian Vampires', Humans and Wolves?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: The World Is Larger Than You Know**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings**_ _ **: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyers. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

 **January 2006**

Charlie Swan sighed as he pulled his cruiser up the long driveway outside of his hometown of Forks, Washington. He'd lived in this small town his whole life and he loved it. On normal days, he could not even think of a different way of life. Good job, house that was paid for and well kept, fishing every weekend and sole control over the remote. This was it for him.

But on days like today, he second guessed himself and wondered if he had the guts to just pack up and never return, leaving all the responsibilities of being Chief of Police in a place like Forks behind him. Though the thought might be nice, the truth of the world reminded him that life could be much worse outside of his neck of the woods.

Dangerous even.

You wouldn't think that a small town like Forks could hide anything more dangerous than a few local drunks, bored teenagers and tons of wet weather of all varieties that could wreak havoc on the roads. He had learned otherwise the same year he became police chief. He still remembered vividly when his best friends Billy and Harry from the Quileute reservation picked him up from his home after his second week, with promises of beer and fishing all weekend. He had been amused but confused when they showed up that Friday evening, since they had spent the previous weekend doing the same, but he wouldn't turn down fishing and a few beers with his best friends for anything, so he went along, not expecting their detour.

 _ *** August 1995***_

 _"Are you lost or are you taking us to one of those secret fishing holes you refuse to share?" Charlie asked as they turned off the highway onto a winding road. He knew that through this part of the woods the Calawah River could be accessed, but to his knowledge this road led to private property and he didn't know much about the fishing average in this stretch of the river anyway._

 _Billy chimed up from the back seat of the rusted green '78 Ford Scout. "We...need to introduce you to some people we know. They plan to move back to the area in the future and there are some issues that need to be discussed with them."_

 _Charlie had turned around in his seat to look at his old friend, suddenly on alert from the tone of Billy's voice. He said, "What is this, Billy? What aren't you telling me?"_

 _Billy looked his friend in the eyes and said, "My friend, there has been much I haven't shared with you over the years, but today we will tell you everything." Charlie continued to look at him for a few moments, and seeing the seriousness in his friend's eyes he began to worry, his mind cooking up all kinds of theories that would cause trouble for him, his friends, the reservation, his town. But nothing could have prepared him for what he was to learn._

 _Moments later they reached a clearing in which stood a large old house that looked as if it had belonged on a plantation in the old south. Harry pulled the Scout to a stop in the driveway and they all got out of the truck, Charlie hanging back behind Billy as they approached the large house. "Who lives here? I wasn't aware of any family wealthy enough in this area to own or build a house like this," he said, looking around to see if anything suspicious might catch his eye._

 _Harry waved them up the steps, ignoring his question as they approached the door and knocked. Before his hand could leave the surface of the door, it was opened by a pale young woman with short black hair and a smile on her face. Charlie stared in awe at the woman; her golden eyes were so vibrant and strange he thought she must have been wearing some of those expensive colored contacts that some young people wore these days. "Welcome, Harry, Billy, Charlie. Come on in!" she said, seeming happy to see them. "The rest of the family is in the dining room, if you would like to join us please," she added as she shut the door behind them and gestured for them to follow her through the extremely large and open living area._

 _Charlie, bringing up the rear, stopped in his tracks when they entered the dining room and saw six more equally pale people staring at him, some with genuine smiles, some with curiosity. All with the same colored eyes. Thoughts of cults and criminal activity started darting through his head, making him even more cautious about what was going on. The young man with the bronze hair gave him a small smirk and looked from Charlie to his hands, giving Charlie the strange feeling that he might have spoken his thoughts out loud though he knew he hadn't._

 _The oldest looking male with blond hair and a large smile stood up from the head of the table and gestured for them to take seats around the table, which was bare except for a large black binder lying in the center. Charlie slowly took a seat at the other end of the table, Harry and Billy flanking him. "Welcome, Harry, Billy, and Charlie. It's a pleasure to meet you finally," the man said, his gaze lingering on Charlie's guarded face. "My name is Carlisle Cullen and this is my family," he continued, starting the introductions. "This is Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Edward and Esme." He pointed to each, not missing the way Charlie looked at each of them as if he was remembering their names and features for a future police report. Charlie finally nodded his head before giving his two serious-looking friends questioning looks, though several people noticed how his gaze had briefly lingered on Esme's._

 _"Forgive your friends for not enlightening you about this meeting beforehand," Carlisle continued. "I am afraid I insisted that they wait for you to arrive before they spoke of what we have to discuss today. Before we get started, would you like some form of refreshment? We have coffee, tea, colas, juice...we were unsure what your preferences might be," he said with a smile, taking a seat now that the visitors were seated and folding his hands in front of himself._

 _They each muttered their declines. Charlie kept looking around the table, his nerves starting to get the best of him. "Why don't we cut to the chase and you all tell me what the hell is going on?"_

 _Carlisle barely held back a smirk, instead showing a small smile while holding up his hand in a "we are harmless" manner. "Of course, Charlie, forgive me for stalling. Billy," he said, turning to the man to the right of Charlie. "Why don't you start with your part of the story and then I will jump in at the appropriate interval," Carlisle said, nodding toward him._

 _Billy motioned for the large binder to be passed to him and he held onto it for the first ten minutes as he started telling Charlie about his people, starting with Taha Aki and the Cold Ones. When he got to the part about Ephraim Black and the treaty, he opened the binder and pushed it in front of Charlie, whose eyes grew large as he looked. He realized that in the picture, beside a man who looked very much like Billy, was a man who looked exactly like Carlisle, as well as mirror images of Carlisle's family except Alice and Jasper. Charlie stared at the picture for a few moments before raising his head and looking at the Cullens, then at his friends._

 _His face betrayed his shock, confusion and growing fear of what might be going on when he asked, "Who—how—what_ are _you?"_

 _Carlisle motioned to the binder filled with photographs and articles as he explained how he had met the Quileutes and what they were. He explained some of his history and that of the rest of the family for the next thirty minutes or so. Charlie, for his part, was extremely quiet and listened to every word, though it was obvious he still couldn't wrap his mind around what they were telling him._

 _Wolves [aren't they werewolves?] . Vampires. Normal vampires versus "vegetarians"._

 _As soon as Carlisle was done with the basics they all sat in silence while Charlie looked at the binder full of pictures, articles, evidence of the truth in their words they had specifically put together to show him._

 _After maybe fifteen minutes Charlie raised his eyes, cleared his throat and shakily asked, "Not that I believe a word of this...stuff...but why would you tell me if this was something you wanted to keep a secret?" He looked briefly at his best friends, his feelings of confusion, disbelief and a bit of betrayal in his eyes._

 _Carlisle looked at his family, and after receiving a nod from each one he replied, "We are extraordinary, or should I say several of my family members are extraordinary, even among our kind. Jasper is empathic; he has the ability to sense and manipulate the emotions of those around him. Edward is a telepath and can hear every thought we have when he is within range of us. And Alice is psychic, she sees the future in a very unique way; she sees what happens after decisions are made. So if someone she focuses on changes their mind, the future changes."_

 _Charlie looked at the three of them in turn, growing even more skeptical and guarded by the minute as he tried to digest everything they were throwing at him. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked again around a nervous lump in his throat._

 _Carlisle leaned forward and looked at Charlie. "We own this house and land, but we don't live here. For now. But living here is what we will do in the future, probably ten years or so from now. We came to visit and renew our treaty with Billy and Harry's tribe because Alice has seen several visions that are still unclear, but clear enough that we need you to know about us. We are just a small...coven," he said carefully. "There are multitudes of vampires in this world and the majority of them are not like us, they don't feed on animals. Among those is a very powerful Coven in Italy—the closest thing we have to rulers, or royalty, in our world. They are self appointed enforcers of the one law we follow: keeping our existence a secret. But my family and I, we don't look at humans the same way as they do, like cattle," he said, his tone a mixture of sadness, disappointment, and revulsion._

 _"When my family made the original pact with the Quileute Nation, it was a simple treaty that protected the reservation and our family's existence, allowing us to live for quite some time in this ideal climate. Even having done that, we could invoke the wrath of the Volturi. If they were to discover the existence of the wolves, whose sole reason for being is to kill vampires, not only would they eradicate the entire Quileute Nation but they would kill every member of my family as well." He paused as he watched the stiff postures in the room stiffen even more at the idea of the dangers in Alice's visions of all their futures._

 _"Alice has seen that no matter what we as a family decide, even if we choose to never come to this area of the world again, the wolves yet to come will be discovered and endangered. The best chance for them, whom we consider our allies—_ friends _—is for us to return and fight by their side if need be. The Volturi will face opposition the like of which they have never dreamed possible, and our family and the wolves will be caught up in the coming storm. We have many paths before us, but Alice has seen that if we stick with the Quileutes—as we would do regardless—we have the best chance to survive the war that_ will _come."_

 _Charlie sighed and dropped his head in his hands, shaking his head while everyone gave him a few moments to digest. Finally raising his head, he looked them in the eye and asked, "I take it, since you are sharing this with a man of the law who is responsible for the area, that I am to be dragged into this...this mess too? If this is true—and I can promise you I find it very hard to believe you aren't all_ nuts _—what could my knowing possibly do but put me in danger as well, if this Volturi group is so against anyone knowing?"_

 _Carlisle smiled slightly, tilting his head. "Alice has not yet filled us in, that is, on the details of your involvement. She says too much keeps changing. She just knows that it is important in the coming years for you to adjust to the reality of the things we are revealing to you today, so that you can be on your guard. When the others of my kind feed," he said, hesitating, "their victim usually shows up in a missing persons report, or as an animal attack and the like. While we will not be living here for quite a few years, you need to be aware of what is truly out there. Alice will be watching you, Billy, and the reservation. So if some kind of danger appears on her scope we will arrive quite suddenly and things could get alarming. It's best for you, as a man of the law who is entrusted to care for the safety of the area, to know everything...to be ready for it."_

 _Charlie was silent, staring Carlisle down almost as he felt the words sink in. "I have a family too, you know. My daughter—my ex-wife took her away when we divorced but I have been working towards getting her for the summers in the next few years so that I can see her," he said, looking at Alice directly now. "Not that I believe this, but if it were all true, how can I keep my family safe? Short of kidnapping my daughter, I doubt I could get Renee to move back here and I would never do that to her, even though I miss Bells very much," he stated. "But on the other side of the coin, wouldn't it be more dangerous for her to come here, get attached to me again and get caught up in the danger?" he asked, still staring Alice in the eyes, his face betraying his fear at the idea._

 _Alice smiled lightly and sat forward. "Charlie, I can't promise anything, since my focus has not been on your daughter. But if..._ when _the Volturi learn of our pact with the wolves, you will be caught up in danger as well, though we will do everything we can to protect you. When the time comes, I do know that we will have a sizable force to stand up to the Volturi. They have a lot of very talented vampires as well and several of them will try to seek out any weakness we have. We care for the lives of humans. We don't kill them—feed on them—we protect them. I will focus on your daughter as well, to see what the best solution is to keep her safe, but the best way for me to hone in on her is to meet her. When will she be visiting you?"_

 _Charlie lowered his gaze. "I haven't convinced Renee just yet, but I'm hoping to have her for a month next summer."_

 _Alice's eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment before she smiled and said, "Renee will give in and your daughter, Isabella, will arrive a week after her school year ends. I will be here and contact you at that time to arrange a brief meeting. I only need a few moments. You could 'run into me' at the local diner and then I will be able to tell you more in the future to help you keep her safe," she promised._

 _Charlie swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded. After a deep breath he rose from the table. "I need a few moments, just..." He shrugged awkwardly and left through a set of French doors behind Carlisle, where there was a wonderful view of the Calawah River several hundred yards away._

 _Billy and Harry made to follow, but Edward raised his hand to stall them and said, "He will be fine, I'm sure. His mind just needs a few moments to sort through everything. He is understandably shaken."_

 _Billy looked at Carlisle and then Alice. "Has the timeline changed at all for the activation of the wolf genes?" he asked._

 _Alice shook her head. "That is still not quite clear, but it will be after we move back, probably around 2002 or 2003. It is our presence, over time, that seems to trigger the wolves. We will keep you informed once we know for sure when we will be returning, when the time is right," she said, looking away from Billy to Jasper, who had been quiet like most of the others during this whole meeting._

 _Esme came to her feet. "I will go see if there is anything Charlie may need, see if he has any more questions about the family."_

 _Alice smirked and Edward's eyebrows rose, but neither said anything._

 _Out behind the house, next to the river, Charlie sat on a large fallen log staring at the rushing water and he started when Esme suddenly appeared in front of him. His eyes widened and his heart started to beat faster. She had arrived in the blink of an eye. They were quiet for several moments, Charlie trying to control the fear he felt at seeing proof of their words, Esme to allow him to absorb the reality around him. "Just what are you...vampires capable of? What don't I know?" he said, looking at her closely. He thought that besides the otherworldly [otherworldly is one word] pale skin and the golden eyes, she looked like a fragile woman. A very beautiful one._

 _Esme smiled, her mouth tipping up at one corner, and reached out her hand, nodding for him to take it. "I won't hurt you, I just need you to see and feel part of what makes us so different."_

 _Charlie swallowed a lump in his throat and reached out his own hand, which she took between her own, causing him to gasp at the feel of her skin."You're freezing," he exclaimed as he held his hand still in hers, looking at their hands. He suddenly reversed their situation and took her hand in both of his. "You feel like a statue that's been left out in the snow," he commented quietly, causing her to chuckle._

 _"We are nearly indestructible, Charlie. We do not need to breathe. We move so much faster than you can imagine. Though we are immortal, there is only one true way for us to die. We do not sleep. We avoid the sunlight, but not for the reasons you may have seen in movies or read in books. We do not burn in the sun, we shine, like statues made of diamonds. So places like this that have nearly constant cloud cover are the ideal locations for we few who value human life and wish to integrate into society to a degree. Carlisle, for instance, is a doctor and steadily practices medicine at hospitals wherever we settle. Edward, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett look much younger and usually attend high schools and colleges wherever we go so that they can do their part to seem normal," she said, smirking at the word. "I've done some schooling myself, but I usually teach myself, and these last few years as the internet has grown ever larger I've started taking online courses. Though my passion is for building things, restoring things and such. We may be immortal, but we still have many of our human qualities and desires," she said, finally releasing his hand._

 _"Why, if you can survive off of animals, do the others feed off of people?" he asked, still unclear._

 _She tilted her head and replied, "Human blood is almost like oxygen for us, in a way. We are hardwired to want it. A good comparison? It's like human food, for instance. Most humans love steaks, they eat meat. I would probable compare it to that. Imagine you crave steak, you want it, you need it to sustain you, but you choose to eat tofu instead, to spare the animals. That is why we call ourselves 'vegetarians'," she said with a chuckle. "Large game can sustain us, but the thirst for something better is always there. Most vampires see us as otherworldly, as you do but from a different perspective. They can't understand why we deny ourselves steak and settle for tofu," she added, smiling._

 _They remained for a few moments, Esme allowing him to absorb even more of the onslaught of information he was receiving. Charlie finally looked away from her and got to his feet. "I still find this all hard to believe, you know, though seeing you move so fast and feeling your granite skin makes it so much more convincing. Is there not something you all can do to prevent any of what Alice sees? I don't like the idea of living in a world where I can expect some insane supernatural battle. I...I am just a man, just human. Why couldn't you all have just kept me out of this and protected us without me knowing?" he asked, looking back up at her and seeing sadness on her face._

 _Suddenly Alice and the others were right there in front of him, and he felt a sudden calm that confused him until he looked at Jasper who Carlisle had said could manipulate emotions. Charlie frowned at him before looking at Alice when she began to speak, as Billy and Harry finally caught up and flanked Charlie again. "You would die if we left you in the dark and defenseless, never knowing what was going on around you. I've looked and looked and there is no way around us telling you, without accepting your death. There are...things that I see that I will not share with you now, as they may change. But suffice to say I know you would want to be alive to help your friends and protect your daughter. Your future is destined to twine with ours. That is why we are telling you this." She spoke calmly, though she could see the fear her words had created behind his eyes at the thought of dying in some horrible way, leaving his daughter behind in such a dangerous world._

 _Charlie nodded and looked away from them to his oldest friends. "I can't take much more of this. I guess, thank you for telling me. I would appreciate a heads-up as early as possible to any...things...that will happen before you all return to live here," he said awkwardly to Carlisle, ready to flee to and lose himself in some beers and fish in hopes of forgetting some if not all of this. Though he knew there would be no forgetting._

 _Carlisle nodded and smiled lightly as he gestured to Charlie, Billy and Harry to follow him back through the house and to Harry's Scout. "Thank you for allowing us to meet you today, Charlie. I very much look forward to working beside you in the future, though I regret that not all things will be pleasant when the time comes," he said. "Billy, Harry, we will be in touch with you as well, of course. Please pass on my good will to Old Quil and the Council," he added, bowing his head and raising a hand to his heart in respect._

 _Billy nodded as they climbed into the Scout, looking again at the pale family that was watching them leave. "We will be waiting," he said, and then Harry backed them out of the driveway and turned to take the road back to the highway._

*Back to present time, January 2006*

Charlie shook his head as his police cruiser pulled to a stop on the driveway in front of the plantation-looking home of the Cullens. He sat there for a few moments, remembering that first meeting and then his second, when in the span of five minutes Alice had met his daughter that first summer, and the occasional phone calls and letters they sent him to keep him informed if they could. He fought the image of Esme in his mind that had haunted him in the best and worst way since he had met her that fateful day, frowning because he knew that Edward would hear his thoughts and that Alice had probably seen him thinking about her over the years.

Grunting in self-loathing, he unsnapped his seat belt and got out of his car and approached the house, alone this time. He never got a chance to knock; the door opened as soon as he stepped onto the porch and a smiling Carlisle gestured for him to enter. "It is good to see you again, Charlie. Thank you for coming over as soon as I called," he said, letting Charlie in and closing the door while motioning towards that same dining room.

 _ **Author's Note: So even though I've been a fan of the Twilight books for years and Team Edward lol, this is the first time I've ever delved into the Twilight fan fiction world. I literally read my first TFF a week ago. Like my ships in the Harry Potter fan fiction world, I am unique and cannot seem to stick to canon ships for the most part. So bear with me, as this plot is new and still forming, but I'm extremely excited about it! I hope you enjoy this...please read and review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Everything Is Going To Change**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyers. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

Charlie's eyes took in the familiar large room. He recognized some of the same expensive looking furniture but the house seemed more finished and inviting. He knew they must be here for good and it really started to hit him that things were going to change.

"Yeah...umm...you too, Dr. Cullen," he said, removing his thick jacket since they had the heat on for him along with a large cozy fire in both the living and dining rooms. Carlisle took his jacket and in the blink of an eye he had hung it up near the door, causing Charlie's heart to beat faster as he witnessed this. He knew they were trying to relax around him, show him their true selves so he could start to adapt to the many changes to come. "So you're here, for good it seems. What happens next?" he asked as he settled himself at the table. He frowned when he realized it was only Carlisle there for the moment. "Where are the others?" he asked, unable to help himself. Even though he felt a bit more comfortable being in the presence of just one vampire, he was curious to see the others again. Especially Esme.

Carlisle took a seat across from him and clasped his hands together. "I came ahead of the family to open the house and get my paperwork at the hospital settled. I had to negotiate a contract with the board so that on those rare sunny days I can be off work no matter the circumstances to...hmm...'go camping' with my family. I rarely find trouble getting such flexible contracts in my favor, as my credentials are quite impeccable, understandably," he managed to sound like he was merely stating facts and not bragging.

"Alice, Jasper and Edward will be joining us here after the majority of the schools let out. We plan to make a show of the move to Forks to introduce ourselves to the community. I won't start at the hospital until then. Esme, Rosalie and Emmett will join me here then as well. Esme agreed to build them another house up north, so she is finishing the construction and they are helping, sort of. Rosalie keeps changing her mind about certain things, so the construction will take a while," he said, smiling as he thought of his family.

Charlie nodded, trying to imagine the delicate looking Esme building a house by hand, something he would have to see to believe. "So if you aren't officially moved here yet, why call me already?" he asked gruffly.

Carlisle's face became more serious as he nodded and replied, "It's about your daughter, Isabella. Alice wanted me to let you know that she will be mentioning the idea of moving here for a few years to work, save up for college, and also give her mom and new stepfather some time to themselves. Alice said to tell you to do everything you can to encourage this. Things will start happening this fall and it will be safer for both of you if Isabella is here where we can protect her better," he explained.

Charlie sighed and scratched his neck. "What will start happening? What about my daughter—will I need to tell her all I've learned as well, or will we be able to protect her from all...this?"

Carlisle seemed to disappear for a moment and then reappear as he went to his office and back. He laid some papers in front of Charlie, who had sat back in shock at the demonstration of how fast a vampire moved. "So this is what I suggest..." Carlisle began.

~{}~

The air ruffled their hair as they flew through the New England trees near the border with Canada, enjoying a day of hunting to themselves. Alice and Edward Cullen ran for nearly an hour, caught several deer each, and shared a big bear before they stopped to talk in privacy.

"So have your visions changed?" Edward asked his sister, his face pensive and wary. He watched her as she seemed to look off into space while he listened to what he heard happening in her head, which caused him to sigh and throw a rock that cut right through a large tree, leaving an open hole in its wake.

Alice looked back at him and frowned. "Edward, I know how you feel about this, but it doesn't seem like it will change, not unless you want her to die. It's the only way," she said, moving in the blink of an eye to sit next to him and clasp his hand. "Don't you want him to be happy? You saw what I saw; she will choose this!" she pleaded.

"Your visions can change, Alice. Why would we take someone away from their human life? Take away everything that is normal and natural for her?" he exclaimed, raking his free hand through his bronze colored hair in frustration.

"Edward, please don't try to interfere. You know it will only lead to trouble, possibly her death. He will love her! She will love him and if we do anything to stop it, she could die. That would destroy the man we know and love, who's been a father to us in many ways!" she said, tightening her grip.

Edward looked at his feet but nodded. "I love him too, Alice. I won't try to change the future you see, but I won't sit on my hands and say nothing. I will be honest if asked. You say she will be great friends with us? I believe you, but I can't let a friend choose this life without them knowing the true costs."

"Edward, look at me," she smiled gently. When his eyes met hers she went on. "I know you struggle with what we are, thinking we are monsters, with what it means as far as heaven and hell go. But you need come to grips with the fact that we are miracles! Our family is special, we have a purpose: to coexist with humans. We may just be getting started, but in time I believe we can help others see a better way to live. In the meantime we will do what is right. We can't be punished for what we are, 'cause what we are is a great tool to reach into the supernatural world and try to help instill morals and respect for humanity, if only by being ourselves and sticking to our chosen diet," she said, then she chuckled with glee and threw her arms around him in a hug. "That's what I want to see! Never bet against me, Edward Cullen!" she laughed, having seen him agree to heed her words as best he could.

"You are one annoying pixie-brat. Let's go - we have a trip home to get ready for and I bet Jasper is waiting," he said, starting to run.

Alice caught up easily and laughed as she said, "Yes, he'll have been waiting for us by the big tree out back for nearly two hours so let's hurry!"

~{}~

"Bella! Hurry up or we will be late getting to the game! Today is so big for Phil, we can't miss the first inning!" Renee Dwyer shouted through the house as Bella tried to get the knot out of her laces so she could get them tied more securely. She really didn't want any kind of accidents to befall her today. She already had a bruised elbow from a door at school getting slammed into it and a bump on her head from walking into someone's locker door when she was distracted in the halls. She really didn't look forward to another day with stairs and bleachers and rowdy people hopped up on beer and junk food and all the potential for accidents that awaited her at the stadium where her stepfather played in Jacksonville, Florida.

Living the past year and a half during her last years of high school in a new town had been a struggle for her, yet she knew she would have regretted spending a few more years with her mother before she moved out and eventually attended college. She had her plans for the next few years set but had yet to tell her mother that she had made up her mind to take up her father on his offer for her to live with him while she saved up money for college. She would miss her mother and Phil, but they deserved some time to themselves; and after years of seeing her father for only a month during the summers and one Christmas for two weeks, it was only fair to spend those two years saving for college and getting to spend time with him.

She missed Charlie, even if she didn't have much in common with him. He loved to fish, hunt, and watch just about anything sports-related on television, and she didn't care for any of those activities. Nevertheless, while she planned to spend some time with him, she would also be able to enjoy a lot more time to herself when she moved there. She wasn't worried about making friends or finding a social life in Forks since she had grown into a very introverted type of girl. Bella preferred not to be forced into socializing and instead would be much happier settling down somewhere quiet with a good book.

She relished the idea of having time to just be herself and not be caught up in the whirlwind that was her energetic mother. "Mom, I'm just tying my shoes, I'll be right there. I'm driving! Last time you nearly got us a ticket by parking in the wrong spot!" Bella yelled back to her mother, smiling at how erratic Renee could be. She finally got the knot out of her laces and double-knotted them, then grabbed her purse that held the camera her mom insisted she take for the game.

They both got into her mom's jeep and Bella carefully backed them out of their driveway and headed to the stadium that was only fifteen minutes away. They listened to music for a few minutes; the windows were down, letting the salty warm air blow their hair around and enjoying the warm sunny day. Sighing, Bella turned the radio down and decided that she needed to tell her mom finally. She only had another month left of school and she couldn't put it off any more if she were to start packing and arranging everything for the move.

"So Mom, I know I mentioned to you what I was thinking about doing, my ideas for the next couple of years while I save some money. I know you want me to stay here, but I really think it's only fair if I spend some time with Dad before college. He hasn't had as much time with me as you have, and once college hits I'll be living on my own for a long time. Plus when I talked with Dad, he told me he found the perfect job in town that will actually pay really well, so I won't have to do anything retail," she said, watching her mom out of the corner of her eye.

Renee lowered her gaze and groaned. "Really, Bella, I understand you want to spend time with Charlie, and the idea of you getting a decent paying job to save as much as you can for college sounds great, but Forks? I don't know how you can stand the idea of living in such a wet, cold, cloudy place where the sun hardly ever shines."

"Mom, I know you were never happy there—and I'm not talking about how it didn't work out with you and Dad, marrying so young. I would miss the sun, but it will only be a couple of years and then I can go to a college somewhere that isn't so damp and overcast. I still have quite a list of schools that I'm considering and all of them involve warm weather and sunny locations. I love Dad, and I can deal with a few years of rain so we can have some time together before I do college and then the career thing. Life in Forks will be pretty quiet, really, and quiet is just what I need while I figure out what majors I want to pursue, then I can finally whittle down my list of colleges. Plus we are leaving out the fact that you and Phil deserve some time to yourselves. I love you both, but I really feel like a third wheel sometimes, you know?" Bella hoped her mother would understand what she meant and not take offense.

Renee reached over and gave her daughter's arm a squeeze and a sad smile. "I will miss you so much, baby."

Bella sighed in relief that her mom wouldn't fight her on this. The last thing she wanted was to create a rift between her parents when they had been getting along so well for years now.

They were silent for a moment and then Renee turned the radio off completely and turned in her seat, as much as the seatbelt would allow, to face her daughter, putting a smile on her face and an excited determination in her voice. "So Charlie found you the perfect job? Tell me all about it!"

Bella smiled and guided the Jeep through the traffic as they approached the stadium. Lines were starting to form with all the people who were eager to park and watch some baseball. "Well, the new doctor at the hospital needs an assistant to help him with some filing, basic clerical stuff. I know I haven't done any of that before, but Dad says that Dr. Cullen would be willing to take some time to show me the ropes, and since he happened to mention the opening to Dad before he even posted it in the paper, the job is mine. I guess Dad told him about my grades and how organized I am, and Dr. Cullen said he would be willing to take me on over the summer and see how I settle in. The best part is the job pays way above minimum wage, so I will be able to afford to get some kind of car by the fall as long as things work out," Bella said, sounding excited at the idea of working in a job where she would not have to deal with many people. She was more of an introvert, so a job in an office mostly by herself and with flexible hours seemed just the thing. It was almost too perfect really, she thought.

"Wow, that does sound like the perfect job for you. Lord knows I would have been lost without your organization skills over the years," Renee said, chuckling. "It's a good thing Charlie's job as Chief of Police puts him in contact with all the bigwigs in that small town," she added, smiling as they finally parked and got out and locked the Jeep. "Well, it sounds like we have some serious packing to get figured out, but let's save telling Phil until we get home, okay? He really loves you too, so I know he will miss you just as much as I will; we don't want to affect his mindset before the game." They waved their passes to get into the family section where they could see Phil for a few moments before the game.

"Thanks for being so understanding, Mom. I love you, you know," Bella said as she followed her mom through the throng of ball players' families and girlfriends who were vying to get in before the doors shut and they would have to go to their seats.

"I love you too, Bella. Always," Renee said. she nearly shoved a skimpily-dressed woman out of the way to get to Phil, who was waving at them both from his side of the room.

~{}~

Carlisle looked at the office and tried to picture how well the arrangement of the furniture would work. Forks Hospital was quite small and he didn't have an outer office for an assistant like he had had in some of his former jobs at much larger hospitals. He had been granted permission to hire an assistant from the board and had gotten them to agree to lower his own salary to increase how much he could pay her, stating that he could not in good conscience push off so much paperwork and drudgery to free up his own time unless he paid what he deemed appropriate for the work. They had agreed but it had caused a bit of a stir as not many people as talented as he was would do such a thing. He knew he would have to have Jasper and Edward around for the next few months to get a good read on the board members and possibly help them not be so curious or intrigued by him and his contract, which seemed out of character, as most doctors expected to bank large amounts of money for their work.

Most doctors were quite full of themselves after so many years of schooling and being almost worshiped for their profession and knowledge, and such matters as how fairly their assistants were paid simply didn't show up on their radar. Though Carlisle didn't worry too much because he knew that in their minds the board realized they were lucky to have such a talented doctor at their small hospital when he could have his pick of jobs anywhere. He merely chose to stay in a small town out of personal preference. It never hurt to be extra cautious for his family's safety and for the privilege of settling down for a number of years in one spot. Neither he nor his family enjoyed the nomadic life of most vampires. They craved the feeling of home.

He walked around and gauged the distance between his desk, which was now on the left side of the room facing the door. The second desk was a bit smaller and more simplistic. Even with the filing cabinets in the corner beside it, there was plenty of room for two chairs in front of his larger, more sophisticated desk where he would perform consultations with patients and their families. Not only was he a board-certified general surgeon but he had also gained his certifications in neurological and cardiac surgery. Consequently, he would see the majority of severe cases compared to the four other doctors, two of which were general surgeons and the other two specialized in emergency medicine.

Satisfied that the setup would work, he went back to his desk to finish some of the paperwork that he would be passing on to Charlie's daughter after her training was complete. His workload, in truth, was not hard at all. With his extraordinary senses he could close the door and read, write, and type so fast that what might take an assistant a full day to complete he could finish in an hour at an relaxed pace. Thirty minutes if he rushed it. So he knew he would have to spend more hours at work on the few things only he could legally do while she, at a human pace, would take care of simple clerical tasks that didn't require her to have a degree or certificate of any kind.

Spending more time at the office for a while was the whole point, as he would be the main contact to help slowly integrate her into the truth around her. Alice had left out much in the last few years, always with a reason but she did insist that having Isabella in their lives would be important. Carlisle would never bet against his pixie-like daughter Alice. Edward, Alice and Jasper would be around as much as they could to establish friendships with Isabella; Alice had explained that in time they would truly all be not just friends but almost family.

Carlisle frowned as he remembered the look on her face when she had said that, knowing she was alluding to something big. His fast-thinking strategic mind had mulled that over and he began to wonder if the young woman might end up as a romantic interest for Edward, thus becoming family. He shook those thoughts away because as much as he knew such things were possible if the human was turned, he hated the idea of such occurrences shaking up a human's life and cutting them off from their family and friends and a normal life.

Sighing, he switched off that train of thought, pushing the slight possibility of that happening to the back of his mind so he could concentrate. The board expected a comprehensive list of his new assistant's duties to go on record. This was to ensure she would not do anything that could lead to a lawsuit as well as his detailed plans for her "probationary" period they insisted he implement. He truly hated the healthcare system at such times.

He remembered fondly how helping people get well used to be a priority and an honor. Patients would pay what they could in most cases, but the saving of a life shouldn't demand payment first. He hated how humans these days had to fight through thousands of hoops and red tape to get the care that should be freely given, not scrabbled and begged for.

Sighing yet again, he turned off those thoughts as well and finished preparing Miss Swan's paperwork. He had already wasted three minutes in his musings and he wanted to leave in another ten as Alice and Edward would finally arrive this evening, followed shortly by Jasper. He missed his family.

~{}~

Charlie Swan got off the phone with Billy Black. He'd just made plans for Billy and Harry to come over for some beer and fried fish while they watched a game. Though they fully intended to do that, Charlie also planned to discuss the otherworldly situation, something they hadn't talked about in a long time. Of course that had been his doing, not wanting to think about it until he had to. Billy and Harry had called regularly in recent years to invite him to tribal council meetings, but Charlie always declined saying he would join them later when it became necessary.

Now that he had met with Dr. Cullen and plans were underway to move his daughter to Forks after graduation, he knew he couldn't ignore it any longer. He would be going to Florida for Bella's high school graduation in one week. Afterwards they would be driving back to Forks together with a small rented moving truck to bring her things.

An hour after the phone call, Billy and Harry were seated at the table while he kept an eye on the fish that was frying, trying not to burn it like he usually did. Charlie decided to cut straight to the chase on the topic that least excited him."So guys, what's the news with the…wolves? Dr. Cullen called me and I met with him at their house, as you know, and now Bella is gonna move here in a little over a week, after she graduates. I think it's time that I know…things. Dr. Cullen said that the…otherworldly stuff is gonna start happening this fall."

Harry gave Billy a look and a nod, at which Billy cleared his throat and began. "Well, you know the magic in our tribe created spirit warriors, wolves to protect us from vampires. Our tribe has not had an active pack since my grandfather's time, when the Cullens first arrived and the original treaty was brokered. With their return, our pack will become active again. As we understand it, there are thirteen potential wolves in our tribe, one of whom we believe will transform any time now. When the vampires are near us, even as close as living in Forks, the gene in our teenagers from the direct bloodlines of the tribal elders can be activated. Those who will transform will suddenly grow strong, tall, and a bit aggressive at first as the change sets in. We believe Sam Uley will become the first to change"

Charlie turned his back to absorb this while he took the slightly overcooked fried fillets from the skillet and turned off the burner. He fixed their plates and sat them in front of his friends before sitting down and cracking open a new beer. "So, you said they would be the young teens who shifted. How aggressive will these wolves be? And what can be done to make sure the general population doesn't discover them?"

"If Sam is the first to turn he will automatically be the Alpha wolf to any others that follow. He is a very level-headed young man and he will make a fine leader for the beginning of the pack, to get the wolves calmed down and acclimated to their new lives after their first change. He has been on the tribal council for four years now. He is aware of what will start happening and he will be ready. As far as the general population, the wolves will have heightened senses, which will let them know if any humans are out hiking or fishing or camping when they start to hit the woods and run the perimeter. They will know instinctually how to keep their existence secret from anyone who is not supposed to know about them," Billy explained.

Harry picked up the conversational thread from there. "Thanks to the tidbits the Cullens have shared, we expect a large pack and have decided to renegotiate the treaty. I can't tell you everything because I am bound by council discretion but I can say that the Cullens have agreed to allow the wolves to widen their perimeter outside of the reservation and around your town to ensure we have a very well-protected area for the coming trouble. Some of the Cullens will even patrol with the pack eventually, when we're ready, however our main job will be rotating patrols on a set perimeter to sniff out any unknown vampires that aren't aligned with the Cullens. They will inform us if they expect any of their kind to visit, as their little one who sees the future should be able to see any unknowns coming. The pack will not hesitate to kill any that seem a threat, though we have agreed that if any unknowns arrive and don't act in a hostile fashion, we will stand back until one of the Cullens can come feel them out. They have told us we will need every ally we can sway to our side."

Charlie huffed and sat back in his chair, trying to wrap his head around this new reality. After a few minutes he squinted his eyes and looked at his friends. "What you said about Sam being the likely alpha—it seemed as if you meant there will be a new alpha later on…."

Billy smiled and nodded proudly, "The family line of the first chief of our tribe is traced all the way down to Jacob. When he becomes a wolf, which I have no doubt will happen in time, he will have the choice to step up as the Alpha. Jacob is destined to be the true Alpha - the true chief of our tribe," Billy said, his voice laced with pride as he watched Charlie's eyes grow quite big at this last bit of information.

 **Author's Note: So another long chapter and I usually stay around 3k for my chapters lol. I do you hope you are enjoying this story. Please read and review! *HUGS***


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: It Was A Long Trip**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings**_ _ **: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyers. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

"Finally!" Bella exclaimed excitedly as she threw off her seat belt and got out of the moving van with relief. "As fun as our little sightseeing stops were along the way, I will be complete in life if I never have to sit in a vehicle again. Or at least for a few months," she said, stretching her limbs and looking around at the house she had barely known growing up.

Charlie chuckled as he too started to stretch, since they had been driving nonstop since dawn to get home as fast as possible. The sun had just started to go down as they pulled up in front of the house. He heard the tell-tale sound of the loud engine heading up their street and turned to look at his daughter. "That's too bad because I can't return your gift, Bells," he commented, and he turned to look at the bulbous-looking red truck that was older than he was as it pulled up in front of the house and the moving van.

Bella looked from him to the old truck as three guys in cutoff shorts and tattoos on their left shoulders hopped out of the back of the old Ford. One of them retrieved a cooler that he carried over to the lawn as a younger guy and an older one, both of whom she recognized by their long black hair and memories of the summers of being forced to fish with them, got out of the cab of the truck. "Billy? Jacob?" she asked, and she smiled and headed their way, casting a puzzled look at the three muscled-out guys who took up a stance out of the way…separated. "It's been a while!" she said as she was caught up in a surprisingly strong hug from her young friend.

Jacob laughed and spun her around before setting her down and gesturing in the direction of the old truck. "Take it easy on her, okay, Bella? The engine has been rebuilt but don't try her over sixty or you could hurt her!" he said, excitement in his young face.

Bella looked from Jacob to Billy and then to her dad. "You bought their truck? For me?"

Charlie shrugged, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable. "I didn't want you spending chunks of college money on a little death-trap car; plus I feel better knowing you'll be buckled into a truck that's made of real metal and not plastic or tinfoil like these newer things," he explained.

Bella turned to Jacob and Billy with a frown. "I don't remember you having another vehicle. What will you drive?"

Jacob laughed and slung his arm around his dad's shoulders. "Dad's not suppose to drive as much anymore because of his circulation problems. He agreed to let me spend the truck money finally fixing up an old Rabbit I've had for a few years. Besides, Dad doesn't leave the reservation much these days so besides my car we don't really need a truck too," he explained, knowing Bella would know all about his dad's diabetes issues. Luckily things were looking a bit better since he'd started some new medications, but she remembered hearing from Charlie that Billy had got really close to losing the ability to walk for a while there. He even quite drinking beer because of the sugar issues, much to his chagrin.

Bella smiled lightly and went over to Billy to give him a hug. "Thank you, and I was happy when Dad told me that you were doing better," she said, smiling at him. Then she turned and hugged her dad, who awkwardly hugged her back. "Thanks, Dad! I love the truck, this is perfect!" she said with a smile, stepping back so he would feel less uncomfortable with the public display of affection. That was when she turned her attention to the three strange guys in the cutoffs.

Jacob's happiness faltered slightly, but he stepped forward and motioned to them as he introduced his…friends. "Bella, this is Sam, Quil, and Embry. They're here to help me get you unpacked…they, uhh, volunteered," he said, sounding a bit stiff.

Bella gave a small smile as she walked forward and held out her hand to the tallest one. "Nice to, umm, meet you. Thanks for helping out. We're a bit tired after such a long trip," she said.

Her eyes widened a bit when he grasped her hand and shook it, then let go quickly. Sam replied, "Not a problem, Miss Swan. Charlie is like family and we do what we can to help family," he answered, eyeing her curiously.

Bella smiled and nodded before shaking the other two hands. Her face held a curious look as she wondered what was up with the heat she felt coming from them. "Are you guys all right to be helping? It feels like you're running fevers," she commented, looking at them closely.

Sam smiled and replied, "That's just a quirk for some of us on the Rez, Bella. Some of us tend to run much warmer than normal. Doctors have checked us out before; we're perfectly healthy," he assured her.

"Well, if you're sure, umm, I guess we should get the van open and start moving those boxes," Bella said, turning away from the very strange half-naked guys who seemed to be glancing at her while failing to hide it very well.

Charlie clapped his hands together a bit awkwardly and walked to the back of the van, where he pulled out the ramp and then unlocked the doors and opened them up. Bella grabbed her luggage and was then not so subtly directed to take them to her room and wait in the house so she could direct placement of the boxes and few bits of furniture. The guys were obviously not going to let her carry anything else. Normally she might have made a deal out of that, but as clumsy and accident-prone as she was and as strange as her "movers" were, she held her tongue and kept to the house.

~{}~

Bella was a bit nervous as she quickly changed into her nicest pair of boot-cut jeans and a simple v-neck pale blue silk blouse with ruffled cap sleeves. She pulled out a pair of worn and trusty Converse sneakers—a simple girl could only go so far when dressing up a bit—and was brushing her hair when the doorbell rang. Only forty minutes before, she had been blissfully asleep with every intention of sleeping in before she got to the heart of all the unpacking. But her dad had shaken her awake to let her know that her soon-to-be boss and his sister would be arriving within the hour to officially welcome her to Forks and introduce themselves.

To say she was a bit nervous and even irritated at the nine a.m. wake-up call was putting it mildly, but as she understood it they were very nice people. She had no intention of showing said irritation at the wake-up call because she knew she was lucky to get a great job so easily. She didn't even have to do an interview! After she rushed through a shower and blow-drying her hair, she had to admit that someone who was a doctor was probably a very welcoming type of person. Not to mention that this was what happened in small towns, she supposed: unwelcome visits to introduce yourself to new neighbors. Small towns were known for impatient curiosity when it came to the new people in their lair. She didn't know if she would get used to such small-town ways, seeing as she was a born introvert.

With one last look she shook off the worry of her shoe choice; she wasn't at work just yet, she was in her home, so sneakers were perfectly acceptable. Bella took a deep breath and opened her door and heard voices already from downstairs. She hesitated as she listened to her father lead them into the living room and asked them to have a seat.

"Are you sure we didn't come at a bad time?" Esme asked as she seated herself on the couch near Charlie's recliner, where he seated himself. "I know you both just got here yesterday but we were so anxious to finally meet her," she said, smiling as she crossed her legs and faced Charlie with her hands on her knees.

"No, no, we didn't have much planned really. I was planning on watching a game later after helping Bella unpack some of her things, though honestly she's likely to kick me out of her room sooner rather than later. She is very much her own person when it comes to organizing stuff; Bella has a system, especially when it comes to her books and such," Charlie said, chuckling. He had not been around Bella as much as her mother had most of her life, but he could remember quite fondly her brief summer visits and how she had attacked the house and made some sense of his failed attempts at organization. It made Bella happy to know her dad remembered such things.

"I believe we have that in common, then, Charlie, so I quite understand," Carlisle said with a smile. "I have a study that doubles as a library and I get very territorial when anyone messes with the order of things," he added.

Esme laughed. "I've taken to just buying books or checking them out on my iPad instead of borrowing anything of his," she said, still chuckling. "It doesn't help that over half of his books are in different languages, so most of the family have declared his study as off limits unless you're like Edward and Carlisle who happen to be well versed in several languages."

Bella smiled as she thought of how awesome it would be to read such books. She finally made herself stop eavesdropping and started down the stairs carefully. The last thing she wanted to do was trip—that would definitely be a bad way to introduce herself to her new boss and his sister. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said as she stepped off the stairs, only to freeze the moment their guests stood up and turned to greet her. Bella felt as if her heart had dropped out of her chest as she met a pair of golden brown eyes on the most handsome face she had ever seen. She took in the blond hair and the boyish yet strong features of the man before her. She fought the urge to drool a little as she took in his light blue button-down dress shirt that was open a bit at the top, revealing the white undershirt. Neither was tucked into his relaxed-cut medium wash jeans. She held back a huge smile when she relized he was wearing a worn pair of Converse sneakers as well. As her eyes traveled back up to his she wondered, _He's a doctor? He can't be old enough to be a doctor! He doesn't even look old enough for medical school!_ Her mind screamed as she tried to get words past her suddenly dry mouth that seemed frozen. Her jaw was slightly agape and her eyes were wide and she knew she was staring. Snapping herself out of it she closed her mouth and looked away, wishing she was not prone to blushing. She knew she was red as could be at that very moment.

Carlisle felt just as shocked when he laid eyes on Bella. His long-dead heart felt as if it beat again, if only for a moment, as he gazed again at the doe-like brown eyes looking him over. His senses went crazy when he realized she was aroused just by looking at him. When she finally broke eye contact he felt panicked because he also sensed fear and confusion coming from Charlie, a man he had grown to like very much as a friend. Before Carlisle's fast moving mind could contemplate what to do, what to say, his phone rang in his pocket. He forced himself to look away from Bella and got out his phone, then realized the call was from his own office at the hospital.

 _Alice._

"I apologize, it's the hospital. I have to take this," he said, not looking at either Bella or Charlie directly though he could feel them both looking at him as Esme stood next to him, tense. "Dr. Cullen," he said as he answered, his voice sounding off.

"Carlisle, you need to stay calm. Esme," Alice said, knowing she could hear, "you need to distract Bella so that Carlisle can talk to Charlie outside and explain what is happening. He will be upset but he knows enough that he won't lash out. But it's important you explain what just happened to him truthfully, Carlisle. Don't sugar-coat it or there will be trouble. Tell Charlie you need to speak with him alone for a moment. Esme, Bella will be confused but now isn't the time to clue her in. I'll see you at home in about an hour," Alice said, then she hung up.

Carlisle shared a brief look with Esme before clearing his throat and talking as if someone was still on the line. "I have the Chief with me now, as a matter of fact. I'll ask him what he would like to do to keep things secure. Thank you for calling. I'll get back to you soon." He hung up his phone and turned to Charlie. Though his senses screamed for him to approach Bella, he stopped himself…but just barely. "Charlie, there is a small situation at the hospital with an unruly patient one of your deputies just brought in. Can I speak to you outside for a moment?"

Charlie's face looked pinched. He knew something was going on and he felt that it involved the weird energy he had felt between Carlisle and his daughter the moment she looked at him.

He looked briefly at Esme, who smiled weakly at him in some form of encouragment and briefly laid a calming hand on his arm. "It's okay, Charlie, I'll keep Bella company," she offered, removing her arm and purposely moving to the side so they could pass her on the way outside.

Charlie nodded and looked briefly at his daughter, the pinched look still on his face. "Bells, this is Esme Cullen, Dr. Cullen's sister and a good friend. I'll be back shortly," he added awkwardly, and he motioned to Carlisle to follow him.

~{}~

"What the hell was that, Carlisle?" Charlie asked the moment they were outside and standing in the yard away from the house, closer to the street so as not to be heard.

Carlisle sighed. He leaned against his Mercedes and looked his friend in the eyes. "I…I have never experienced it before myself, obviously, but I know the signs. I believe that Bella is my mate," he said, his face serious as he watched his friend's eyes widen.

"Your what? My Bells? How the hell did this happen? She's human like me! You all told me this sort of thing happens to vampires, just like that imprint business happens to the wolves," Charlie exclaimed, visibly shaken and fighting off anger. He knew lashing out physically against the immortal man before him would only hurt himself.

"Charlie, I am being completely honest when I say I have never heard of it happening with a human before! I just...I just feel it. As far as I can tell she may feel a strong attraction to me, but as she's human I doubt she feels the pull I now feel. In fact, from what I've studied about the mating pull, mine is not as strong as it could be, seeing as she is in fact human and not vampire," he explained.

Charlie's face looked a mixture of furious and confused. "My daughter is human. What…how…this just can't be happening! I respect you very much, Carlisle, but I have to be honest and say that I don't like the idea of you forming that kind of attachment to her. She's only eighteen years old, for heaven's sake!" he exclaimed, raking his hands through his hair.

Carlisle folded his arms across his chest and looked at the ground. "Charlie, I would never do anything to hurt her. As she is human, the bond is not complete and wouldn't be completed for her unless she went through the change and I...claimed her. Which I would never do without her permission—or yours, of course. But for me, I will never find another mate. It doesn't happen more than once, even with eternity ahead of me. I have to ask you—no, I beg you. Please allow me to find out, in time, whether she would be willing to change. You know me as an honourable, decent vampire. I don't feed off humans and never will. If Bella were to change and be mine, I would ensure she fed the same way, as I am sure she would want to. Charlie," he said, and he looked his friend in the eye, his face deadly serious. "I'm not saying I would change her tomorrow. Let me approach this in a human way. Let me get to know her, let her get to know me, and in time allow me to formally court your daughter. I wouldn't rush this for anything in the world," he said, almost pleading as he lowered his arms. His hands turned to fists as he eyed the man who may well hold his fate.

Charlie huffed and almost fell as he sat down on the curb by the car, putting his head down and running his hands over his head. After several moments of anguish he lifted his head and looked Carlisle in the eyes. "All of this—the battle, my daughter—is just too much. I'm not saying no, I'm just saying give me some time. A few days. I need to think this through."

Carlisle frowned slightly but nodded. "I understand. If you wouldn't mind, please excuse my absense to Bel—your daughter. I think I should leave, but could you please give Esme a ride back to the house? She could easily run back but it might seem suspicious to your daughter if she were to leave without a car," he added quietly.

Charlie nodded and stood back up. "I'll give her a ride. Bells will think I need to show my face at the hospital anyway after that excuse you used on the phone in there," he said. He looked away and walked back to the house, leaving Carlisle behind him.

 _ **A/N: OMG... SOOO sorry for all the delays! I've been dying to get this out to you all, had it nearly written when I found time to write, then it was just all wrong and I rewrote over half the chapter so that delayed it even more! Please forgive me? As you read this I have already started chapter four lol. Work sucks... for those of you who wish to join me in beating up my bosses with wiffle ball bats, please hop in line! I swear they run around like their heads are cut off, no joke! Ugh... Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing and especially for your patience! *HUGS***_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings**_ _ **: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyers. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

"I hope things are okay at the hospital," Bella said awkwardly as she sat down on the seat that Carlisle had vacated. "Do you think they'll need to leave to deal with it?" she asked, looking at Esme. She felt sad at the thought of not getting to know the handsome man she would be working for, though part of her was relieved because she knew that feeling attracted to her boss would only cause trouble, something she would have to work to not show. She needed the job for school.

"Oh, I bet Carlisle will have to go in, but since your father has another deputy there I doubt he'll have to leave as well," Esme offered. "Sorry that our little get to know you meeting was interrupted. I guess I should show you what we brought for you—Carlisle won't mind if I go ahead," she said, smiling. She got up and retrieved a wicker basket that was wrapped in cellophane and white ribbon tied in a simple bow.

"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything!" Bella exclaimed, feeling a bit anxious. She didn't really care for gifts and was discomfited at the thought of her boss and his sister buying her something.

Esme smiled and pushed the basket closer to Bella on the coffee table. "Not all of it can be considered a gift," she said. Bella reached for the basket and biting her lower lip she started to untie the ribbon as Esme explained each item. "There are takeout and delivery menus for the few places to eat in town, as well as a cell phone that you'll need for work; it comes with the job. The food at the hospital is not the best, I've heard," she added, smiling as Bella flipped through the menus. "Also there are some picture frames I found at the thrift store in town. I thought you might like to use them on your desk if you don't already have some to use. A vase for flowers; the office has no windows, but I have a large garden so I like to bring fresh flowers often to help liven up the room."

Bella smiled as she realized these things were very simple, not overly expensive except for the phone, but she understood that was a required thing for work. "This is amazing and perfect really, thank you so much," Bella said quietly. She looked a little sheepish as she asked, "So you said your brother's name was Carlisle—what 's yours? We never really got introduced earlier." She blushed, feeling embarrassed.

Esme huffed out a laugh and put a hand to her chest. "Forgive me. I am Esme, Esme Cullen," she said, holding out her hand.

Bella gasped quietly as she took Esme's hand and shook it quickly, shocked at the cold feel of her skin. "Wow, your hands are like ice," she said, then her eyes went big and she stammered, "Sorry, I didn't meant to sound rude!" She blushed furiously even as Esme laughed lightly.

"Don't apologize. Cold skin kind of…runs in my family. It's really hard for anyone to not notice," she offered in an effort to lessen Bella's discomfort at pointing out the obvious. "So my brother told me you wanted to move here to work and save up money for school. Do you know what you plan to study when you go off to college?" Esme asked, clasping her hands in her lap and looking eagerly at Bella, wanting to get to know the one who seemed to have stolen her brother's heart out of the blue. Esme was dying to ask Bella about her brother, but she knew that they hadn't really spoken to each other yet and Bella had no idea what had happened earlier. Esme didn't want to scare her off, knowing that the months to come were going to be challenging enough for everyone.

"I have a lot of brochures and notes about courses and majors, but I'm leaning towards English Literature for my major. I have a love of the classics," Bella replied, relaxing a bit.

"Really? That's fantastic! You should come over to meet the rest of my family sometime soon when you're all settled. I'll give you a tour of the house and I'm sure Carlisle will be more than willing to show you his library. He owns a lot of classics and most of those are first editions, if I remember correctly," Esme said, smiling softly as she noticed the light gleam of excitement in Bella's eyes.

"That sounds like a great idea, but I wouldn't want to touch his books. First editions are insanely expensive! I'm quite clumsy and I couldn't afford to replace anything if I tore a page or something," Bella exclaimed. "But I would very much like to meet your family sometime," she added, blushing again as she thought about seeing her boss again outside of a work environment.

Esme smiled and was about to respond when Charlie walked back in, looking upset. "Sorry, but Dr. Cullen had to go to the hospital to deal with that patient. I'll be giving you a ride home," he said, looking at Esme and trying to clear the grumpy feelings he had towards her brother off his face.

"That would be wonderful, Charlie. I believe Bella would like to get to unpacking—I wouldn't want to take up her day," Esme said. She turned back to Bella. "My brother left without being able to tell you that you should take a couple of days to settle in and just send him a text when you're ready to start work. His number as well as my own is already programmed into your phone, so please feel free to call either of us anytime," she added. She stood and walked around the couch. "Chief, thank you for allowing us to meet Bella this morning. I apologize for the abrupt interruptions," she she said to Charlie.

Charlie, looking uncomfortable, motioned towards the door. "Yeah, well, even in a small town like Forks things happen," he said lamely. "Bella," he said, looking at his daughter, "I'll be back in thirty minutes or so. I'll just run Esme home. They live just outside of town limits, so…." He huffed and followed Esme out the door, leaving a confused Bella behind.

~{}~

"Charlie, are you okay?" Esme asked quietly as he maneuvered the cruiser through the small town roads a few minutes later.

He was quiet for a minute, then sighed and gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter. "No, not really. I like your family well enough, despite the…differences between us. I know you're good beings," he added awkwardly. "But I have to be honest: I don't like the idea of Carlisle lusting after my daughter. I wonder if Alice might have some idea if there's a way for me to get Bells out of here," he said honestly.

Esme frowned. "I know this is a shock for you, Charlie, but please don't do that to my brother or to your daughter. It would hurt them, him especially, to be away from each other. I know you don't understand how the how mating thing is between us vampires, but there's a pull, like an invisible rope that binds them together, even without her being a vampire. When they're apart it could become quite painful physically and emotionally and Bella won't understand this," she said, her words quiet but forceful.

Charlie looked over at her. "What, am I suppose to be happy about this? If this is what you guys are saying it is, if my daughter falls for him, he would want to change her. Letting her be changed into some immortal creature is quite different from her just marrying someone and living away from me. Think of how it would hurt her to watch me grow old, watch her mother grow old, watch us die," he said, nearly choking on the last words. "Look, I actually like the idea of my daughter never having to feel the pain of growing old or dying, but shouldn't she have a choice in this? If she grows close to him and decides to join him as a vampire, she'll be giving up everything that makes her human. She could never have kids! What if in a few years she realizes she wants to have children?" he exclaimed heatedly. Suddenly he pulled off onto the side of the road and slammed the car into park and got out.

Esme gave him a minute as he stalked away from the car into the woods. He finally stopped walking and sank down onto a fallen log, looking defeated, and she got out of the car and approached him slowly. She sat down next to him and put her hand lightly on his arm, glad that he didn't flinch away even though he didn't look at her, either. "Charlie, we don't know what she would choose really, but she deserves the chance to decide for herself. She seems very sure of herself from what you yourself have told us about her. Yes, to choose life as a vampire would take away some things that are very important to most humans. But think of what she would gain! I live with two mated pairs, Emmett and Rosalie and Alice and Jasper. The way they love each other is something that is so much more than any love you can imagine. They literally would do anything for their mates, be anything for them. Their love only grows, it never ebbs away. Bella could be with the love of her existence, forever! And as far as the troubles we have coming, think of how much safer she would be if she were stronger like us—she would be safer, and Carlisle would do anything to keep her that way regardless," she explained.

Charlie was quiet for several moments, letting Esme's words soak in while he tried to form the words he wanted say. "I just got her back into my life, Esme. There's some supernatural war ahead of us and it scares me, but not as much as the thought of losing my daughter again," he whispered, his words oozing with the pain he was feeling as he tried not to cry at the thoughts that were plaguing him.

Esme was quiet while she waited for him to relax, realizing that he didn't want to lose face by crying in front of her. When it looked as if he had gathered himself together a bit, she looked at where her hand rested on his arm and moved it down to clasp his hand in hers and squeezed it lightly, drawing his eyes to hers. "You don't have to lose her, Charlie. If she falls for him like I truly believe she will, you could change too, become one of us. You would never have to be parted from her by death," she said, watching his face for his reaction.

His eyes widened a bit at the idea, but he said nothing as he looked at her earnest, kind face. After a few minutes he looked away from her but didn't drop her hand. They sat there in silence until he startled when he felt rain beginning to fall through the trees. "Let me get you home. I'm sure Bella will wonder what's taking me so long," he said quietly, and they made their way to the cruiser. Esme smiled in thanks as he opened the door for her before getting in himself, his hair and flannel shirt now damp from the light rain. "I told your brother I would need some time to think about this, and I'm saying the same to you. Though don't worry that I would…step in their way if she fell for him anyway. I want what's best for her, but I would never dictate what kind of life that is," he said, and he pulled the car back onto the road.

~{}~

Carlisle flew out of his car the second he turned off the ignition, leaving the keys hanging there and the door open as he ran at full speed out of the garage and into the trees, ignoring the call he heard from Alice on the porch. The rain started to fall yet he barely noticed as he ran through the trees in search of his prey, his mind working over what had just happened.

My mate. I've found my mate.

The words kept resounding in his head as he contemplated every moment he had been in the same room with her. Her chocolate brown hair and sweet face. Her scent was something he had never smelled, the sweetest blood he had ever smelled, yet he had had no desire to drink from her. His entire being recognized her as his mate and he would never hurt her.

My mate. I've found my mate.

Carlisle had been on this earth for over three hundred years, and though he was immortal he had begun to think that he might be one of those who never found "the one". Thinking back to their meeting, he remembered how Bella had stared at him, as if she recognized him as hers as well, though he couldn't be sure since he was not a mind reader like Edward or an empath like Jasper. He had never heard of a vampire feeling the pull to a human. He didn't know it was possible, but he had studied mates and their pull for years and he knew that that was exactly what was happening to him.

My mate. I've found my mate.

Sensing several heartbeats ahead, Carlisle stopped thinking for a few minutes and tilted his face up. He smelled the deer that were just over the hill before him, the rain hiding his own scent. Letting go of his mind and its turmoil, he let his instincts take over and fed.

~{}~

Bella was almost in a daze as she picked up her books from the box and started to organize them on the bookshelf in her room. Some she left in the box, knowing that the small bookshelf would only hold around half of what she owned. So she chose her favorites and decided to keep the rest in the box until she had more shelves put up or obtained a larger bookcase. As she pushed the two boxes with the leftover books over to the window, she turned to the boxes of clothes and started either hanging things up in the small closet or folding them into her dresser. After finishing the third box that held new sweaters and two new winter jackets, she heard the door downstairs and her dad called out to her. "I'm up here!" she said in answer.

Charlie clomped his way up the stairs and looked in to see her starting in on one of the boxes filled with keepsakes, knickknacks, jewelry and picture frames. "Sorry it took me so long. I like to drive slower in the rain to set an example," he said, hoping she wouldn't see through the lame excuse for taking nearly an hour to get home instead of the thirty minutes he had said before leaving.

Bella smiled slightly. "No problem, Dad. I thought you might have swung by the hospital to check on that unruly patient. No big deal, I've just been unpacking."

Charlie looked at her, trying to gauge whether she was going to start questioning him about what had happened before. Part of him didn't want to get into it, but if she was curious he would rather get the lying to her over with. He didn't know if he could tell her the truth about the world before it became necessary, though part of him knew that no matter how much he might fight it, it would happen. He had felt whatever it was that had happened between his daughter and Carlisle and it had felt powerful, even to him. "So Esme and Dr. Cullen mentioned they gave you a cell phone for work and personal use. What kind did they get?" he asked, his hands in his pockets as he leaned on the door frame, feeling uncomfortable.

"They got me one of those new iPhones," Bella said, picking it up off the nightstand and showing him. "This thing is so expensive, I hope I don't break it. I was thinking of taking a ride in my truck tomorrow down to Port Angeles and getting a really tough case for it," she said.

Charlie nodded as he looked it over. He had no clue how to turn it on. He still had a flip phone with a simple number pad. "That might be a good idea. When you figure out how to work this thing, maybe you can show me how it's done. The guys at work keep on me to upgrade my phone. I'm not sure I want something this expensive, but some of the other sheriffs I work with now and then have newer phones with apps that seem to help them on the job."

"That sounds like a good idea, Dad. I don't know all there is with the new phones, but I can learn them pretty easily. I do know there are a lot of apps you might find useful, even in a small town like Forks," Bella said, smirking lightly at him. "I'll play with it for a few days and maybe this coming weekend we can sit down and I'll show you the ropes," she offered with a smile.

"Sounds good, Bells," he replied, smiling lightly in return. "So I see you also need a new bookcase. If you want I can go with you to Port Angeles and we can check out a few stores, find something that will work better for you," he offered, eyeing the boxes still filled with books below her window.

"I was thinking about that, but if you don't mind I'd like to make this trip myself, get to know my truck and get to know the area a little better. I still have some cash Mom and Phil gave me for helping out his team at the games, so if I find something and they don't have anyone to load it I'll let you know and we can go back together," she answered, hoping he wouldn't feel offended that she wanted to go alone.

"Well, if you're sure, I'll just give the guys at the Rez a call and then I'll be out fishing. I'll leave early, so make sure you put my number on that new phone in case you need anything. Jacob rebuilt that engine so the truck should make the trip just fine."

Bella smiled. "I'll pick up a few recipe books for fish. I noticed last night when I peeked in the deep freeze that it's full of 'em," she said, chuckling. "I'm sure we can do better than fried and breaded every time we cook any of your catch," she added.

"As long as it's not overly fancy that would be great, Bells," Charlie said, and he nodded and turned to leave her to her unpacking. "I don't know if after years of simple fare my stomach could handle fancy," he said over his shoulder as he walked away.

 **A/N: Yay! I actually had to cut a part of this and that means chapter five already has a head start lol. Thank you for reading and reviewing!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: A Glimpse of What Lies Ahead**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings**_ _ **: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyer's. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

Carlisle's posture seemed to stiffen a bit as he made his way into the house and looked to see his family waiting for him at the dining room table. Looking at them each in turn, he saw excitement, curiosity. and on Rosalie's face, a frown. "Let me clean up and I'll be right down," he said, turning for the stairs and rushing through a shower and change of clothes. He was usually the cleanest when it came to feeding on animals, but having let himself go after such a momentous morning, he had blood and a bit of fur on his shirt and face. His inner beast hadn't been released in such a fashion for many years.

Once he was in clean clothes he went back downstairs, damp hair and all, prepared as best he could to face the questions and comments he knew they were bursting to throw at him. "So before anyone bombards me with rabid curiosity, Alice, I would like you to explain what you know. I assume since you didn't give me a heads-up that there is a valid reason," he said, eyeing her steadily. He wasn't sure if he was upset with her or not for not forewarning him. He frowned, more at himself than at her. He knew it was unfair that they all depended so much on her gift.

"Carlisle, I saw that if I warned you, you would fight the pull, refusing to acknowledge it because she is human. and the end result would be her death. The war that is coming, so many decisions affect the outcome, and you denying your true mate would have not only have killed her but you and Charlie as well. The best option we have is for you to embrace it, and at the right time you will change her," Alice explained.

Before Carlisle could respond, Rosalie stood up and leaned over the table, glaring. "Are you saying that keeping that human alive would make the difference between life and death for us all in the war? What kind of crap is that, Alice? You don't get to play matchmaker when all of us are in danger! A few humans might die? Think of the thousands that will if your big vision comes true and we lose this war! Not to mention us!"

"Baby, calm down and let Alice speak," Emmett said, grabbing her arm and trying to pull her into her seat next to him.

"No, Emmett!," she said, shrugging off his hand. "The Volturi and the Romanians are going to make a big play against each other. They will be recruiting and killing those who refuse to choose a side, and the only thing standing in the way of their mayhem revealing us to the world is us and those we get to join us in standing up to those crazy old bastards! We should be training and preparing, not talking about freaking humans who may or may not—"

"Rosalie, enough!" Esme yelled, standing and leaning over the table as well. "I know you are worried, we all are! You are focusing on the wrong thing and you need to shut up and listen! Alice, please share with Rosalie what you have seen—and so help me, Rosalie, if you interrupt one more time, I will throw you out of this house myself!"

Rosalie sat down in a huff, her expression a mixture of angry and stunned since Esme had never talked to her that way before. Seeing that Rosalie was quiet for now, Alice went on. "When she is ready and has accepted you as her Mate, Carlisle, she will be changed. As well as a few others who will help cement our relationship with the wolves. This is key to our winning. The Volturi and the Romanians are collecting gifts to help their covens win their conflict. We and those who will join with us, refusing to be used for our gifts, will be all that keeps our world from the humans. As my visions stand now, there will be thirty-five vampires and at least nine wolves, though that number may grow as the other nomads and covens arrive to stand with us. That includes the new...additions to our family," Alice explained.

"Those numbers are nothing to the Volturi," Emmett commented.

"We don't even know how many the Romanians will have, either," Alice replied. "But we need to remember that most of the vampires standing with us will be very gifted and that in itself will make the difference."

Carlisle leaned back in his chair and eyed the table. "You said there will be several other additions, and from the numbers you gave that means there will be two other people to join this family besides...Isabella. Who?" he asked, looking to Alice.

"I can't tell you just yet. Just be assured that they will make our family very happy when all the trouble is over. If I were to tell you then it wouldn't happen as it should, and we need those new members of our family both before and after war."

Carlisle nodded, trying to focus on the picture as a whole and not the brunette who really pertained to him directly. "Fine, I will not pry further," he sighed. "Esme," he said, turning to her. "Do you have anything to share from your time with Charlie this morning? Did he say anything that I need to be aware of?" he asked, though he really just wanted to ask about Isabella and the time Esme had spent distracting her while he was in front of her house telling her father about their connection. He knew that as soon as this family meeting was over he could corner her for further details on that score.

Esme smiled lightly as she turned to Carlisle, glancing briefly at Edward who seemed to be smirking as he read it straight from her mind. "He was understandably upset. He mentioned several things, but mainly he is afraid that she will miss out on the human aspects of her life—and more importantly, he is afraid of losing her. Though...I...kind of gave him a way to look at it so he would not have to fear losing her again," she said, looking at her hands which were now clasped together on the table in front of her. Glancing first at Alice, who nodded, Esme went on. "I told him that if she were to join us to be with you like I believe will happen, he could, if he chose, be changed as well," she said.

"Not you too, Esme!" Rosalie yelled. "I know you have some crush on the human _cop_ , but really? Are we just picking random people and changing them as we go? What are you thinking? You can't really be that desperate to screw the human!" she nearly screamed.

Alice gasped and Edward and Carlisle both growled, their eyes shooting daggers at the blonde vampire.

Esme stood and glared at the vampire she considered a daughter in many ways. "Emmett, get her out of here and don't let her back in that door until she can keep her mouth shut! NOW!" she screamed, starting to growl herself. It was all she could do to keep from crouching to pounce.

Emmett, his face a mask of disappointment in his mate, swung her out of her chair and dragged her from the house without a word.

"She is scared, we all are, but that was beyond what I thought she was capable of doing," Alice said, frowning as the remaining family members retook their seats.

"Alice is right, Rosalie is scared, but it's not all about the war. She fears all the change and she is a bit vain, enough that the attention Isabella and Charlie are getting is riling her," Edward added.

"That is no excuse. We all know how she was brought up but after this many decades she should know better than to behave this way to her own family!" Carlisle exclaimed, looking at the door as if he could cause it to burn from his look alone. Shaking his head, he looked to Esme. "You offered to change Charlie? Do you truly care for him?" he asked, looking at her closely.

"I like him very much. He is a great man and I am attracted to him, I have been since we met years ago. I can't say that we are mates or anything, but I just can't shake him from my thoughts—and to be honest, I don't want to. You should have seen him, sitting on the log, as if the very thought of losing his daughter would kill him. I know I should have talked to you all first, but I just couldn't not offer him the choice. We all know that one way or another, Bella will be part of our lives. Charlie deserves the choice to follow her into this life," she said.

"Alice, is he..." Carlisle started, yet seeing Alice look away he stopped himself. "Forgive me, you said you couldn't tell us yet. Well, I think we need to consider what will have to be done if Charlie does become a member of this family. Isabella disappearing from the town would be easy enough to cover up with the town at large. But for both of them to just up and disappear? We need to devise a plan and strategy to make their sudden exit plausible if they both join us," he stated.

"We could create a job offer in Florida for chief of police, allowing Bella to be close to both of her parents. She gets to where she can't be without her mom, so Charlie takes the job to stay with her as well," Jasper said. "I can get Jenks to fabricate all the transfer and moving details while also creating their new identities," he added.

"That sounds plausible. Work out all the details and get Jenks on it right away. If they are both changed we will have to have them disappear from the public very quickly, so the papers need to be in hand and the false numbers and such in place in case anyone noses into it and calls down to Florida," Carlisle said, nodding. "Edward, when will the meeting with the wolves happen to negotiate the finer details of our defenses?" he asked, looking to the bronze-haired vampire.

"The Elders are busy overseeing the newly phased pups, so Billy said they would call as soon as they could ensure Sam's word would nip their outbursts in the bud. With humans attending, they don't want any trouble or anyone harmed," he explained. "I think they need another month. In the meantime, Eleazer and Carmen will be arriving in two weeks with the first batch of allies they have manage to convince to join us. Esme, we need to make sure the guest cabins we've built on the property are ready. Tanya, Irina, and Kate are in South America talking with our Amazon friends. Jasper, have Peter and Charlotte called with any news on their end?" Edward asked, turning to the blonde-haired vampire next to Alice.

"They are close to locating Garrett; he keeps evading them but barely. After they finally catch him they will head up north to Nova Scotia to talk with Mary and Randell. That leaves us to contact the others. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow for Ireland, then England, to deal with the Irish coven and try to talk some sense into Alistair. Edward, you should come with me. Between the two of us we will be in a better position, with our respective gifts, to handle Alistair. You know how flighty he is," Jasper commented.

"Carlisle, you need to cancel your plans to fly to Egypt next week, given the circumstances. Esme and I can handle talking with Amun. You should be here to welcome anyone who arrives and to give yourself time to get to know Bella. She will text you the day after tomorrow stating that she will be ready to begin work on Monday at the hospital," Alice said, smiling. "Oh, and tomorrow would be a great day for a little shopping in Port Angeles. I hear the weather will be overcast and rainy and around noon I see a certain brunette shopping for a few books and a bigger bookcase for her new room," she said, smiling brightly.

He smiled and looked around the table as the rest of his family that remained either beamed or smirked in his direction. "The plane is already paid for. I'll just call ahead and let the pilots know that you will be flying instead of me," he answered. He was quiet for a moment before standing. "Family meeting over. I'll be in my office. I need to make a shopping list for the bookstore," he said, walking out the room and grinning like a fool.

The others chuckled and laughed as he made his way upstairs.

~{}~

Bella frowned as she carefully shook the excess rain from her umbrella under the large awning at the bookstore's main entrance. It had only been sprinkling when she left Forks an hour ago, but by the time she made it to town the rain was nearly a deluge. Feeling like a drowned rat, she made her way inside and sighed as she noticed the umbrella-bag stand next to the door. Just the fact that places of business offered large quantities of bags to place wet umbrellas in depressed her just a little. It was just unnatural for her that it rained this much and often enough to necessitate such bags.

Reaching inside of her rain-proof jacket, she retrieved the list of books she was looking for and then hung her jacket up on the very large wall of hooks with everyone else's jackets. She hated the idea of leaving it there where anyone could grab it, but she guessed that the general populace must not expect their own to be stolen, figuring it was the height of taboo to even think of taking someone else's in such a climate. _Strange,_ she thought. Looking at the markers that hung from the ceiling, she saw that the business and health nonfiction section was located in the back left corner of the store so she made her way in that direction. She looked briefly at the clearance and sales items on the tables that ran down the main thoroughfare, promising herself she would take a closer look after getting the books she came for.

Not even ten minutes after she had immersed herself in the books about medical offices and medical filing for dummies, she bumped into someone as she started to turn a corner to continue her search. "Oh, sorry!" she said, and she looked up only to see those amber eyes that had haunted her since the day before staring at her once again.

"Not to worry, Miss Swan. I too get lost in my own world while looking at books, so I completely understand," Carlisle said, smiling.

"Car—Dr. Cullen! What are you—I mean, I didn't know you would be here," she replied, stammering a bit and blushing.

He chuckled. "Well, I hadn't planned on it, but most of my family are busy with their own plans for the day and I thought treating myself to a few new books might be the best way to spend an otherwise dull day. I'm glad to have run into you, though. We never really got a chance to speak yesterday," he said. "Oh, and call me Carlisle, please. I don't expect you to use my formal name unless we are in the office and there are patients or their family members present," he explained kindly.

"Okay, Carlisle. As long as you call me Bella," she replied quietly, looking down at her armful of books. She blushed again and cursed herself for being so prone to it.

"Bella it is, then," he said. "Would you like me to help you carry a few of those?" he offered, motioning to the burgeoning stack in her arms.

She blushed yet again and said, "Well...I...sure, just, umm, I was trying to find some things to read up on that might help me with the job," she said lamely as he took over half of her books, leaving her with three in her arms.

He glanced at the books and smiled as he took the stack in the crook of his arm easily enough. "That is very admirable of you and makes me all the happier to have chosen to hire you for the job. I don't know many people who would have put as much effort into being an assistant. I was very happy when Charlie put your name forward," he commented, watching the way she smiled shyly at him.

"Well, I know you told my dad you would train me in all I would need to know; it's just that I have the tendency to go beyond the basics when it comes to learning things," she replied. "I thought it might be helpful if I could study some basic medical terminology and the like, to make the transition a bit smoother."

"That is a wonderful idea. In fact, I have several books you may like to take a look at. I will bring them into the office and you can borrow them when you start work," he said. They were both quiet for a moment while Carlisle tried to think of a way to prolong their time together. He wasn't ready for her to run off from him just yet. He felt a bit selfish in this regard, knowing she was a bit nervous and uncomfortable, but he knew that the sooner they got to know one another, the easier it would be to grow closer. "There is a cafe a few doors down. If you are not otherwise engaged, would you like to meet me there after you are done here? I thought we could talk for a few minutes so that we could get properly acquainted," he said, his hope for time spent talking to her very evident in the way he looked at her.

Bella felt like she could hardly believe her eyes as she look at his hopeful gaze. "Umm, sure. I...will probably be another twenty minutes or so," she said, nodding towards the shelves.

"Lovely. If you don't mind, I can take your books up to the front desk and give them your name. They are always willing to hold books while you shop here, they do that for me quite often," he offered, a breathtaking smile on his face that went all the way to his eyes. He reached for the remaining books in her arms.

She handed them over, blushing yet again at his gentlemanly offer and trying to breath normally over a sudden rush of...something after seeing him smile. At _her_. Like _that_. "Th-thank you, Carlisle. I'll remember that for future shopping trips," she replied with a trip of the tongue, before turning away—or running away—to search out a few more books.

He felt a tug on his heart as he turned away from her regretfully, but he reminded himself that she had agreed to meet him in the coffee shop so he had to content himself with that little bit of something to look forward too. He bestowed a large smile on the poor sales clerk at the front when he had Bella's books set aside for her, then purchased his own books before exiting the store to go save a nice quiet table for when she joined him. He knew if he stayed in the store with her he would come off as a stalker as he watched her peruse the shelves.

 **Author's Note:** Okay... sooo sorry for delay. Had to chop off the chapter here because it was about to be 5k lol... Nano is working wonders! Hope you enjoy... more to come soon!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: I Want To Get To Know You**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings**_ _ **: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyer's. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

Bella walked her two overstuffed bags of books out to her truck and then headed over to the coffee shop. Feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves, she treaded carefully under her umbrella over the asphalt and sidewalks, not wanting to slip. She would be mortified to show up with her backside wet from a fall. When she reached the covered part of the sidewalk she carefully moved her umbrella, trying to not get wet from the lingering rain on the fabric that puddled around her. She placed her umbrella in the bag so it wouldn't drip on the floor and walked in the doors, looking around the quaint little shop and spotting Carlisle sitting back in the corner by the window. "I'm glad I put my books in the truck first; this place doesn't have room for excessive shopping bags," she commented lamely. She blushed and took her seat next to him at the tiny round table.

Carlisle fought within himself when she sat down before he could stand or help her take a seat. Over three hundred years of gentlemanly manners screamed shame upon him, yet as of now she was an employee he had only just met. Such gestures would be best left until they knew each other a little better. "No, this place is not big enough for a lot of bags, I agree," he offered, hoping to keep silence from engulfing them so soon, or at all. "So, would you like some coffee or tea? I had a small snack from their case, but I'm not thirsty myself," he confided.

"I wouldn't mind some Earl Grey, if they have it. Otherwise some coffee is just fine," she volunteered as he waved the server over.

"One pot of Earl Grey please, Twining's if you have it," he said, barely looking at the poor woman who seemed to be almost drooling at him.

Bella barely held back a huff as she tried to ignore the strange surge of irritation. Shaking her head at herself mentally, she tried to ignore the woman who purposely swung her hips a bit suggestively as she turned to go get the tea. She chose instead to focus on the man across from her. "So you know about Twining's tea? That is my preferred brand when I go shopping," Bella offered a bit lamely.

Carlisle smiled lightly. "My family originates from England actually, so as a descendant of the English, drinking the tea favored by the Queen is a must, really," he asserted.

Bella chuckled. "You do realize you live in America, right? Home of the freedom to choose one's tea? Though as it's the best, I guess there is no real reason to rebel against Her Majesty," she said, a smile and a blush gracing her features as he laughed.

They were silent for a few moments as Bella poured herself a cup of hot water and broke open the tea bag to start it steeping. Carlisle watched her closely as she tugged repeatedly on the tea bag's string, speeding up the process. Wanting to not focus so much on how delicately she used her hands, he cleared his throat and asked the first thing that came to mind.

"So when you moved here, did you leave many of your friends behind? A boyfriend maybe?" The words were literally out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Inwardly he wanted to slap himself for jumping right out there, so obviously bringing her relationship status to the forefront.

Bella nearly choked on her tea but managed not to spit any out across the table. Feeling the blush grace her face yet again she started to toy with a napkin, shredding it a bit as she avoided direct eye contact with her new boss. She was very startled to hear him ask such a question. It was almost like...no, she decided, she was not going to let herself go there. She was barely legal and he was an established surgeon probably closer to her dad's age. With a tiny squeak at first, she replied, "Actually, no one, really. I had a few friends but they weren't that close really. I'm a natural introvert and would rather curl up with a good book than go shopping or to the mall like most of the girls I knew in Phoenix. As for b-boyfriends, I've never had one, really," she finished a bit lamely.

Carlisle allowed himself to revel in the fact that she was single and that she had not bestowed her charms on anyone before. Trying to hide his giddiness at the idea, he decided since he had already stepped in it he should just wallow in the subject since he was really too addicted to the idea of moving their acquaintance along on a more personal path. "I hope you don't think I'm prying, but for a beautiful young woman like yourself, it seems so wrong that you haven't had the experience of young love," he prompted.

Bella looked at him, still blushing. "Well, I was asked out on a few dates, but the guys my age have always been interested in trying to _be_ with me," she said, emphasizing the _be_ part. "I'm not like that. I don't want to be with random guys and grope in dark corners. If I were to date someone I would want it to be with a true purpose, finding that right person, you know? I can't stand the idea of dating just to fill in time and having an excuse to make out. All of that is just pointless," she exclaimed.

Carlisle genuinely smiled and nodded. "I understand you completely, Bella. I myself am single for the same reasons really. Though I have to admit being a single doctor attracts more attention from those who would be hunting for some kind of rich husband or something. But I am old-fashioned, very much so. I believe in courting, looking for love that can lead to marriage. So I commend you for being one of those rare younger women who seek substance over status and stimulation." As soon as the last word was out of his mouth he chuckled, embarrassed, as she blushed and actually spat out a little tea this time. "I apologize, that was a rather crass way to put that," he amended.

"No, no, it's refreshing that you can be so honest and I thank you for the kind compliment," she answered, looking away from his probing eyes.

They were silent for a few moments while he helped her put down a few napkins to clean up the bit of tea she'd spat over the table because of his very shocking words. He avoided staring, sensing she was embarrassed at what she'd done and probably a bit unnerved by his words and choice of topic.

After realizing there was nothing left but to talk, lest they lapse into a silent nightmare of a situation after such words, she cleared her throat and looked back up at him. "So the hospital," she began. "I'm ready to start in a few days. I was just wondering if I needed to meet you there at a certain time, if I need a key for your office," she surmised.

Carlisle smiled, accepting her need to change the subject to a more neutral topics. "Monday morning meet me at seven in the morning in the emergency room lobby. That is really the main entrance and from there I will make sure to show you around. The hospital itself is quite small so that won't take long. I'll be sure to have a set of the keys you will need," he declared. "Do you have any questions for me?"

"Well, the only thing that comes to mind at the moment is about the other staff at the hospital. What kind of atmosphere is it around there? I know being a small town, gossip is likely, but I would like to know if there are certain people I should avoid," she asked.

Carlisle smiled and nodded. "Yes, a lot of the nurses like to gossip and if something happens in Forks, those ladies will spread the word like wildfire. As you will be working in my, well, our office," he corrected himself before continuing, "I doubt you will have much in the way of contact with them except when they happen to stop in my office to alert me to something. But for most things they call my cell so they have no real reason to enter our office. But I can tell you now that for a while they'll invent excuses to pop in for a minute. As the Chief's daughter, snagging a job that would have been highly coveted if I had put out feelers for the position publicly, there will be a lot of busybodies trying to get the Bella Swan scoop, I'm afraid," he replied honestly but a bit sadly, seeing her expression.

Bella sighe, as she picked up her tea cup and drank the last before pouring more hot water for a second cup. "I knew that would happen. I just wish people would leave me be. But I guess, as you say, it won't be so bad since I will be in the office most of the time. Honestly I plan to pack lunches, if you don't mind, to have at my desk so I can avoid that small cafeteria. I don't want to be swamped by the horde of busybodies," she commented.

"By all means, have your lunch at your desk. Really, besides when you leave work, there shouldn't be a reason to leave the office unless patients or their families come in for private consultations and such. When I know of meetings beforehand, you will know when to make yourself scarce for their privacy. I will alert you by text from the emergency room or the operating room if I need you to clear out quickly for sudden consultations with patients when things...happen. But Forks is a small town and that doesn't happen that often. If you don't wish to stay in the main lobby you are more than welcome to consider such cases as break times and go outside for fresh air, or sit in your car or something," he finished a bit lamely.

"That sounds more than reasonable," Bella said as she smiled lightly and continued to sip her tea. "So tell me about your family," she continued, changing the subject. "I talked to Esme for a few minutes but I don't know the rest of your family."

"Esme is my sister and we have sort of adopted some others, though they are more like brothers and sisters as well, I guess. There is Edward, who is a bit broody at times, but he loves to play the piano and that is something he graces us with quite often in the house. Then there are Emmett and Rosalie, who are married now. Emmett is quite boisterous and Rosalie, well, she is not the most social of people, I guess you could say. But she can fix any car you park in front of her," he said, chuckling.

"Then there is Alice and Jasper, who were the last to join our family a few years back. She is a pixie-like creature with a passion for anything fashion related. She actually plays dress-up with all of us. Jasper is quiet but loves to read about history, especially the Civil War era. He is quite shy around new people so he may be the last of the brood you get to know eventually," he explained.

"Wow, that is quite a family from the sound of it," Bella replied. "It makes me feel a bit intimidated, I guess, being an only child. I wouldn't know what to do around a big family, I don't think."

"Well, I hope we will find out sometime soon. Like the rest of the town they have heard much about you, although Charlie was the one singing your praises directly. They are His face showed how hopeful he was that she would consider this idea.

Bella fidgeted as she thought about this, wondering what she could say to stall such a meeting since she barely knew him. Not that she truly thought he wanted...no she wasn't going to think that way and get the wrong impression of his wanting to get to know her so well. "Yeah, umm, maybe sometime in the future we can plan a get-together," she responded a bit lamely.

Carlisle smiled lightly, recognizing her nervousness at the idea of being the center of attention for a close-knit family that would probably overwhelm her. "Well," he said, "I guess we should probably call it a day. It's getting a bit late and I wouldn't want you to drive home in the dark with all this rain," he offered, seeing she might just be ready to flee, as much as he wished he could keep her close and get to know her more.

Bella smiled and nodded after taking at look at the weather which was still a near downpour. "You're right, and my truck is not the fastest beast out there so I guess I should leave. Besides, I bet my dad will be worried because of the weather. So I will see you Monday morning at seven?" she asked. She grabbed her wallet and started to pull out some cash, frowning slightly when she saw Carlisle pulling out a black card and handing it to the server he had called over. "How much was the tea?" she asked a bit quietly as she started to count some bills with the intent of handing them over for her share.

Carlisle held up his hand and said, "Don't worry about it, please. Just consider this a welcome gift while we got to know each other a little better before your first day." Bella nodded but he could see she wasn't quite comfortable with this so he added, "Next time, you pay?"

Bella smiled. "Yes, please. Next time," she said, waving a bit awkwardly before she walked away, getting her umbrella out of the bag so she could open it once she was outside.

As Carlisle watched her sprint through the rain to her old beat-up truck, he felt a pang in his heart as the distance between them grew. He knew that the pull was present and he was going to have to try and limit the amount of time they were apart, even if he had to do so without her knowing. Not just to dull the pain, but to make sure she was safe.

~{}~

Bella was in a daze, a happy daze, as she drove her truck slowly through the rain along the twisting road from Port Angeles to Forks and considered her time with her new boss, Carlisle. She was crushing on him. She knew it and a large part of her was chastising herself while the other part was busy telling her that he seemed to have been a bit flirty and pointing out that he was young. Single. Her mind was in a whirl as she considered the way he had dived right in and asked about previous boyfriends. She wasn't stupid, she knew he wasn't fishing for a topic of conversation. Just from the way he had questioned her, the way his words sounded to her ears, she knew that he truly wanted to know.

Bella sighed as she contemplated the many bad things that could come from having a crush on her new boss. She knew that her future depended on the money she was going to be making, and she knew that even if she was correct in thinking he might crush on her in return, having a relationship with her boss, who was an older man and very well known to the town, not to mention her father, was a bad idea. _Charlie!_ she thought, feeling a bit of panic well up at the thought of what he would say or do if she told him about any of this.

Shaking her head, she tried to shut out the ensuing chaos of her thoughts and concentrate on her drive. _Don't get ahead of yourself; you're probably reading more into it than what there is. Why would a handsome doctor like Dr. Cullen ever have a thing for you?_

~{}~ 

Charlie sat at the small, shabby kitchen table on Monday morning as he drank his coffee and munched on some toast with jelly. Above him he could hear the sounds of his daughter, his baby girl, who was now a grown woman, moving around as she got herself ready for her first day working for Carlisle. With a grunt he sat back in his chair and looked out the window, wondering how he should handle this whole situation. In the scheme of things it might seem that the love life of his daughter, who was supposed to be mated to a vampire, might not be such a pressing issue because of the coming war. But he knew, despite his misgivings, that this was going to happen. So he could either brood and make this difficult for everyone or he could try to make the situation a bit more livable for everyone, especially his daughter.

As he thought it over, he considered what Esme had said about him following Bella into this new life. _Vampire_ , he thought as he looked at his steaming cup of coffee. He started to think of what that would truly mean. Since he had known the Cullens for years now, he was pretty well aware of what that life would entail. He would have to disappear from the one place he had known, watched over, loved all his life. He remembered overhearing Carlisle and Edward speaking about the bloodlust that was especially strong during the first years of life as a vampire. He knew he would choose without a doubt to be a "vegetarian" vampire like the Cullens, but he worried what it would do to him if he slipped and hurt another human being.

He was built for his job as Chief, protecting people. Just the thought of losing control and attacking some innocent person—he would not deal with that very well with an eternity ahead of him to agonize over it. Then there were the little things he wondered about, like his home. He knew having to keep himself away from the human populace he would have to leave this house for a long time. Where would he go? Obviously if he were changed he knew the Cullens would no doubt allow him to hang around their home, but he was not quite comfortable in such an ostentatious place for long periods of time. Seeing as he wouldn't sleep, he figured he could just stay out in the woods. He would have to be out there hunting animals to satisfy his new craving for blood anyway.

"Morning, Dad," Bella said, walking into the kitchen and breaking him out of his heavy thoughts. He nodded to her and tried to wipe the seriousness of his crazy thoughts from his face, resolving to keep this whole from invading her world just yet if he could help it.

"Mornin', Bells, how did you sleep? Ready to jump into the old grind yet?" he asked as he watched her put a few poptarts in the toaster and pour herself some milk.

"I'm ready to start just so I can get past the whole 'New Girl In Town' persona and to save money for school," she replied, smirking a bit at him but not really looking at him so she missed the sadness that came over his face at the mention of her going to school.

"Well, don't let those gossiping nurses get you down, Bells. The novelty of your arrival will wear off soon enough when someone in town does something really stupid. If it gets bad enough, let me know and I will arrest someone after planting some evidence, make sure the focus strays from you," he quipped, not at all serious.

After hurrying through her glass of milk and poptarts, Bella grabbed her packed lunch and checked her purse to make sure everything she needed was there for her first day. Then she turned to her dad and smiled lightly. "Well, I guess I'm ready to go. I'll see you later, Ch—Dad," she said, giving him a quick one-armed hug on her way out.

"Have a good day, Bells," he said. He watched her hurry out the door, through the chilled, damp air, and into her old truck. With a roar that nearly shook the windows the engine fired up and she drove away.

 **Authors Note:** _ **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I am currently writing for NanoWriMo so I hope it's up to its usual standards lol.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: First Day At Work**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings**_ _ **: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyer's. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

Carlisle's face was very severe as he gazed at his phone before him on his desk. Moments before he had received a call alerting him that the Volturi were reaching out to him again. Aro had called his old friend Eleazer to inquire whether Carlisle had changed his number since he had not been answering Aro's calls. With a sigh, Carlisle contemplated his next move. They needed time to prepare themselves; if he angered Aro now, before they were ready, he feared the outcome of this coming war between the Italian and Romanian covens. Aro was getting impatient and sooner than Carlisle would like. He knew that a personal visit would happen if he did not find the right words to keep stalling. He knew he would have to get back to Aro soon.

Carlisle shook his head and looked at the clock, realizing that any minute Bella would be arriving for work. He needed to be out in the lobby to greet her and help fend off the nosy nurses. He sent a quick text to his family about the phone call to Eleazer and then pocketed his phone in his scrub pants and put on his white doctor's coat. He exited his office and locked it behind him, as was his habit, then walked at a brisk human speed to the lobby and stopped at the main desk.

"Miss Sara, how are you this morning?" he asked politely. He sighed internally as she simpered at him and fluttered her eyelashes a bit.

"Dr. Cullen, good morning, sir. I'm doing great, thanks for asking!" she replied in a sweet and chipper voice. "What brings you out here? No one has come in all morning," she said, even though he knew she knew who would be arriving shortly.

In an effort to be polite he answered, "I've come to meet Miss Swan and show her around before I set her to work—ah!" He turned away in relief. "There she is now." He walked towards the squeaky sliding glass doors to greet Bella. "Good morning, Miss Swan," he said as she walked in, carrying a notebook in one arm with a bag lunch balanced on top of it.

"Good morning, Dr. Cullen," she replied, nodding at him. She blushed at the stares of the others around them watching their exchange very closely. She felt like she was under a microscope, which she knew she was in a way.

"Well, let's get started, shall we?" he said, ignoring the others and wanting to help her escape their scrutiny as soon as possible. "This is the main entrance and obviously the emergency entrance as well. To the right are the ER beds; as we are a small hospital they are not individual rooms, merely curtained off. Behind those doors at the end are the two operating rooms on the right, and to the left are all the labs, x-ray rooms, and so on. Now to the left, the right fork is the way to the thirty in-patient rooms. The left fork, if you will follow me, leads to the private offices, billing department, cafeteria, and so on. As I mentioned during the interview, we are a small hospital but through some generous donations we are fairly well equipped despite our size." He motioned to her to follow him down the left fork past the waiting area and away from the nurses and other staff who were itching to get in a question or two.

As soon as they were through the doors and she heard the heavy door clang shut Bella sighed in relief. "Wow, I knew they would be trying to get the scoop but I felt like they wanted to take me to the x-ray room and look through me," she quipped, causing Carlisle to chuckle.

"You're not far off the mark, I imagine," he replied, smiling. He stopped halfway down the hall on the right side at his door and reached into his pocket for the key. "Now this is our office," he said as he unlocked the door motioned to her to precede him. He closed the door behind her and pointed to her desk and work area he had set up to the right. "This will be your desk. In the top right drawer are keys to this office, the filing cabinets, etcetera," he explained as she put her notebook and lunch bag on top of her new desk and opened the drawer to pull them out.

"So these are my keys to take home? Are there any restrictions you wish to place on my use of them?" Bella asked, eyeing the "Welcome to Forks" keychain.

Carlisle smiled and motioned for her to go ahead and take a seat, while he turned one of the guest chairs in front of his desk to face her before sitting down. "Like I said before, unless I notify you otherwise on your phone about the office being occupied with patients or their families, then you may come and go as you please," he replied. "I am not easily distracted, so don't fear making noise or walking in and breaking my concentration." Though if he were honest with himself, she would be the only person who could distract him to any great degree.

"Well, if you will show me how you arrange your files I will get started on the work so you can get on with your own," Bella said, smiling lightly and ready to begin.

Carlisle spent another thirty minutes going through his file system with her, explaining what papers went where and what papers she was not to touch but to leave for him on his desk if she came across them. After that he reluctantly let her start on a large pile he'd purposely saved for her to keep her busy, while he scratched away at some other paperwork at a true snail's pace, sneakily watching her while she worked. After a time, his phone buzzed with a text.

It was Alice reminding him that he needed to put some heavy thought into how to deal with Aro before he got home and the family conferred with each other.

Just as he started to put away his phone his ears picked up the commotion of incoming patients suddenly arriving in the emergency room. Knowing his pager was going to go off, he stood up and made his way out of the office, telling Bella he would have his phone if she needed anything and that he was going to do some rounds.

~{}~

As soon as he was gone Bella sat back in her chair and dropped the papers she was holding, sighing. They had only been in the office working for a little over an hour, yet she felt as if he'd been not exactly working but watching her the whole time. Turning around, she looked over at his desk and saw that his own pile of work had dwindled to a respectable level in that hour, yet she still couldn't shake the fact that he had been watching her. She thought that if he was, such a thing should disturb her. But it didn't. She was glad that when she was seated, her back was to him, so that her blushes at the idea of being watched by the handsome doctor hadn't been revealed to him.

Turning back to her desk, she decided she would try and ignore how she felt about it all and concentrate on her work. Mooning over the doctor, a man she had just met, would not help her at all. With a determination to try and keep her mind and crush in check she went back to work.

~{}~

Carlisle sighed. He'd finished cleaning up the mess from the cast he'd had to do for the young Owens boy who'd broken his ankle trying to climb down a tree from his bedroom window to sneak out. He would be tired if he were human, but as he never grew tired he had to put on an act for the staff he worked with. Just as he was wiping his brow with a handkerchief, a man he didn't quite like, one of the hospital board members, walked up to him.

"Dr. Cullen!" Mr. Behr said. His voice was jovial but his face had a look that meant he was going to make Carlisle do something he would rather not do. Carlisle's intuition was proven right with Mr. Behr's next words. "I'm glad I caught you," he said, clasping Carlisle's shoulder like they were friends and not just colleagues.

"How can I help you, sir?" Carlisle asked as he sighed, trying to not cause a scene as he inched away from the man's touch.

"I've had a phone call from the State Medical Board this morning. It seems that due to some kind of bill the State Senate is trying to pass regarding the use of blood in hospitals and such, there will be a major medical conference next week in Seattle. They are requesting that someone from each hospital in the state attend as representatives. I am unable to go since I have already booked that trip with my wife for our anniversary, as you know. I was hoping you wouldn't mind attending in my stead; get the lay of the land, so to speak, with regard to this new law and how it could affect the way we run things. Blood is scarce as it is sometimes, just ensuring we have what we need, so it is a very important issue. What do you say?" he asked, eyeing Carlisle, knowing it was more of an order than a request.

Carlisle felt a bit of panic inside as he thought about how dangerous Seattle was at this time with the war coming—how bad it would be for him to be away from his family at such a time, not to mention how much he would miss Bella if he were to go. Then he thought he could take Bella with him and that would provide them with more time together. He could also have some of the rest of his family follow discreetly to help maintain their safety at the same time. With those thoughts in mind, he wondered if he might use the time to try and hold Aro off. He knew Aro would prefer to speak in person, so if Carlisle were to convince him to meet in person with a minimum of guards, maybe he could convince Aro to be patient with his request to stand down and not demand his allegiance one way or the other. He knew Aro would try to take advantage of the situation, but Carlisle also knew that he himself held a lot of influence not just with the vampires in North America but all over the world, even if it was in a quiet sense. To put it succinctly, Carlisle was a catch. The Volturi wanted not only him but his very talented family members to help them against the Romanians. But Carlisle knew from Alice's vision that if they worked directly for either side they would be exposed, and even if it didn't happen right away, eventually they would all die horrible deaths and the world as they knew it would change.

With these thoughts in mind—thoughts that all happened in a few seconds thanks to his vampiric brain and how fast it worked—he looked at Mr. Behr and said, "Sir, I have to check with my own family as we have family coming into town. I may be able to swing it but I would appreciate it if you could give me a few days to confirm my availability."

"You had family coming in? I didn't see you down on the schedule for time off. Well then, yes, get back to me, Dr. Cullen," Mr. Behr said, sounding perturbed that Carlisle didn't agree right away.

"I will, Mr. Behr," Carlisle said, and he bowed his head politely before turning away and heading straight to his office. Suddenly he needed to see Bella. As soon as he entered she looked up and smiled at him before looking back down at her work.

"How was everything? Has anyone come into the emergency room yet?" Bella asked as she continued to shuffle through some papers.

"A young boy broke his ankle, but luckily for him the break wasn't so bad that he had to have surgery for it. Just a cast for a few months and he will be good as new," Carlisle commented as he sat down at his desk and tried not to come up with an excuse to get Bella to look at him just for the pleasure of seeing her face. _Slow down, old man_ , his mind yelled to him.

"Broken bones—yes, not having surgery is very lucky. Those are not fun," Bella commented as she stapled a set of papers and moved on to more.

Carlisle smiled, remembering Charlie mention his daughter and her tendency to get hurt very easily. "You speak as if you have broken something before," he offered, wishing for her to talk even if it was about past injuries. Hearing her voice was very soothing for him.

"Yes, I have. I imagine my dad has mentioned how clumsy I can be—well, I've broken two fingers, one toe, my left leg, and my right wrist over the years. The leg and wrist had to have surgery," she commented, not turning around as she started to blush thinking about it.

Carlisle chuckled as he saw her neck turn a bit red. "Well, I'm glad you've accepted this job, then. Might come in handy to work within a few feet of a surgeon," he quipped.

Bella laughed, despite more blushing. "Let's hope I don't have to have my boss work on my bones any time soon," she replied.

Carlisle sighed and then said, "Bella, I was accosted by one of the head guys here at the hospital. He wants me to go to a sudden state medical board conference in Seattle next week. We never spoke about such things, but how you would you feel about having to travel for work? I could use your help while I'm there since things are so riled up over some bill before the State Senate about hospital blood use, of all things. It would be simple work, really, mostly manning my phone for me while I'm in any meetings or sessions. Other than that, you will have a room of your own wherever I book to stay and the rest of the time you can enjoy some time around the city if you wish. In fact, I could take you to several hidden gems of bookstores I know of on our down time. You'll be paid for a full day's work each day you're there," he added, eyeing her.

Bella looked up and turned to face him. "Work for you out of town? Of course, that would be amazing and I would be more than willing to help you out. I wonder, do you know the details yet? What day would we be leaving? I need to know when to have my truck ready for a trek to Seattle. I'm sure my dad will want to go ahead and get those new tires he mentioned it needed. Plus, I want my dad's friend's son Jake to check the truck over, make sure she is up to a drive that far," she said, more to herself as she looked over at him..

Carlisle smiled and tried to hide his upset at the idea that she might want to drive without him. He keep his feelings to himself and just offered, knowing that in the long run it would be safer for her to travel with him since there was more to this trip than she knew. "Why don't you just ride up with me? My car is kept in excellent shape thanks to my adopted Rosalie. She is a genius when it comes to vehicles. I wouldn't mind the company on the drive, to be honest. It takes a few hours to reach Seattle, after all," he said, looking at her and trying not to let his eagerness show too much. He didn't want to scare her off.

Bella smiled and managed to not blush as she replied, "That would be great, actually. That would save my poor truck the struggle. Just text me if you find out the details while we aren't here in the office; that way I can let my dad know where I'm headed and when." She smiled awkwardly and turned back to her desk.

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Sheesh. I had to cut it here cause I was at 5k... the convo with Aro and the after convo was very long.. and at 1,700 it's still not over lol. I know this chapter is pretty slow...more ground work. But I promise... I will be upping the ante as I go along! Also a reminder... this is being written during NanoWriMo... so yeah. It's all a bit rushed, but my general plot is there. Bear with me? *HUGS* Please read and review!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Setting A Meeting**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings**_ _ **: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyers. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

Carlisle sat at the dining table with his family, Billy, Harry, and Charlie, his phone connected to a speaker so everyone could hear the conversation that was about to take place. "Please remember, no noise," he cautioned again as he hit send and they heard the ringing begin.

"Carlisle, old friend. How nice of you to return my call," Aro began after answering. "I was beginning to think you might be avoiding me, but I see I should apologize for being worried," he replied.

"Aro, it is nice to hear from you. I do apologize for not contacting you sooner. If you remember, I work as a doctor for the humans and to maintain my lifestyle and job I've been quite busy of late with shifts at the hospital," he reminded his "old friend".

"Truly puzzling you are, how you give so much of yourself to those...humans. An odd man you have always been, but I suppose that is why I've always been so fond of you. The decades and centuries do become a bit tiresome without a little flair in life, dear friend," Aro remarked.

"Yes, well, I am happy that I have brought some amusement to your life. That is what old friends are for," Carlisle commented, carefully leveling his voice so as to sound happy and not offended or irritated. "So you wished to speak with me, and I called to see if you might fly out to Seattle next week so we may speak in person. I have to be honest, the tensions in our world are quite disturbing. So I ask, with all due respect, whether you would come to speak in person and keep your entourage at a minimum. With all due respect," Carlisle repeated, taking an unneeded breath that was silent and could not be heard over the phone.

"Why, Carlisle, you wound me. You say those words like I would ever be a threat to you or your...family," Aro replied, sounding offended.

"That is not my intention, Aro, it is not. I am just trying to keep things on an even keel here. There are troubles in our world and I do not wish to further the...problems by escalating anything. My family and I may claim a large area that we feel responsible for here in Washington State, but there are others out there who would use such a friendly meeting for their own ends. I just want a quick visit, low key, that will allow us to talk and see what we can accomplish with this time together. I do not wish to insult you in any way, I am just looking out for my family and our area, just as you would do if you asked the same of us. We do not have a guard to surround us as you do, my friend," he said, hoping he could placate Aro by saying such things. He knew that if Aro felt no threat he might consider this more on Carlisle's terms than his own.

"Why, my friend, I would never want to cause anyone to be nervous. You are right, there are problems in our world, and if I brought a large force of guards things could get troublesome and escalate matters. We, the Volturi, have been trying to calm the situation down as best we can; alas, the Romanians are determined to cause trouble and refuse to acknowledge their defeat millennia ago. So yes, Carlisle, I will agree to your terms for a friendly meeting. I should say, I will only bring five members of my guard. I hope that that will seem satisfactory to you?" Aro asked, his voice clearly indicating how okay Carlisle had better be.

"With all due respect, your number is quite fair; but as to whom you bring, may I make a suggestion, if you will allow me, dear friend?" Carlisle said. He knew this would push Aro's buttons, but for their safety he needed this concession.

"Why, Carlisle, would you like to choose what I pack as well?" Aro replied. "Who would you possibly have a problem with joining me on a little trek to your fair corner of the world?" he asked, his voice clearly stating his impatience with being civil.

"As I said earlier, there are others in the general area who are truly nomadic and they are a very troublesome bunch. I would prefer, once words gets out that you have arrived or are visiting, that Demetri not be with you. If anything might stoke the unrest among our kind, it would be the presence of your very talented tracker. We all know how capable he is, and thanks to the Romanian spies who have worked against you many fear his unrivaled talent for tracking. Everyone in North America and beyond knows the truth: that if he merely meets someone, he can track them down wherever they go. So for the sake of peace I ask that you bring any other tracker you have, just not Demetri, as his reputation will undoubtedly cause problems. I would so hate for this to be the cause of further escalations," Carlisle explained. The speaker was silent for a moment and everyone waited with bated breath to see how it would turn out. Alice smiled and Carlisle relaxed as they heard Aro finally reply. "I understand, dear Carlisle, I understand completely. I have to say I am surprised to hear that he is so well known. Perhaps when we meet you may feel up to sharing how you know this. As it is, I was not planning to bring him as we have him otherwise engaged at present. So, Carlisle, I will have the details of my arrival sent to you if you will please let me know when you are available to meet next week. The earlier the better, it seems. I feel as if I might gain a lot from our visit and I do not wish to delay, you see," Aro said, sounding his usual jovial self.

"I am going to a medical conference in Seattle next week, so as soon as I accept my invitation and have my schedule I will know when I will be available to you, Aro. I will email that over as soon as I get it." Carlisle sounded, if not happy, at least content.

"Very well, dear Carlisle. Ciao," Aro said, then the line clicked and Carlisle closed his phone.

Everyone looked at Alice as she sat frozen in thought, seeing a vision of what they could expect. "He is very upset that you set terms, asking him to not bring Demetri along, but I think it upset him more that one of their main weapons is so well known. He will not want to risk someone attacking their most prized tracker at a simple meeting to chat with you. He plans to bring Renata, of course; Felix, the twins, and of course Chelsea. We will have to be careful around her; she will try to bond the two of you more closely and lead you towards the Volturi side," Alice said.

"What of Bella?" Charlie asked. "Carlisle told me earlier that he wanted her to come along. Why the hell should I allow her to be so close to such dangerous people? I don't like it, Carlisle."

"Charlie, I told him, as is the truth, that I am going to Seattle for a major medical conference with the state medical board. I am representing Forks hospital and it would look off if I were to go alone, with no staff at all. We will not stay at the same place as Aro—in fact, once I know where he plans to book rooms for his stay I will make sure our rooms are completely across town. I wouldn't do anything to bring harm to her, and coming with such a small number of his people will cause Aro to be cautious. He will not act as aggressively as he might want to. He won't try to find out who is with me, and in all honesty, if he agrees I would suggest that when the time comes to actually meet, Jasper, I'd like you to be the one at my side," Carlisle said.

Jasper sighed but nodded. "I am the best man for the job, but Alice, how do you see the meeting going? Will the twins or Chelsea be a problem for either of us? Obviously Chelsea is but I am more worried about being physically incapacitated either by pain or by my loss of senses. What is the outcome?"

Alice looked at her mate and smiled. "Oh, don't you worry about them. I foresee a spot of bother for them so it will truly be on an 'even keel,' as you said, Carlisle, when you meet with Aro. The Romanians' spy will have told the brothers about Aro's little trip, and the twins and Chelsea will be busy trying to get their hands on anyone trying to see what Aro is up to. The meeting will be just you, Aro, Jasper, Felix, and Renata. In all fairness, it's quite the even fight if something drastic were to happen. Renata may be a shield but she is no fighter. Felix and Aro would be all you had to contend with, and Jasper is more experienced in fighting than either of them. So Charlie, don't worry about Bella. Rosalie and Edward will be with her while the meeting is going on, and Edward will know if anyone is coming," Alice assured him.

"What about us? Should any of us be in the city with you, Carlisle? They don't know about us and that would give us all an advantage if something Alice has seen were to change," Billy said.

"No, I would caution that you and the wolves steer clear of Seattle until Aro is back on his jet to Italy. Though the Volturi know about shapeshifters in native tribes across the world, they don't know about yours or that you are aligned with us. We can't risk Aro finding out as if anything happens to you, they would be taking away an ace we need for later in the game. We just can't risk it—besides, it's for the best if you decide to stay here and keep the area secure since half of us will be in Seattle for the meeting."

"I'm going, too," Charlie said, looking over at Carlisle as if daring him to object.

"Charlie, really, Bella will be fine. I promise she will be completely safe. It's best if you don't take a random day off work. Despite never having been here, I guarantee that the Volturi have people who keep a digital eye on this family and the town we live in, looking for any irregularities, anything they can use to their advantage. The Chief of Police can't just up and decide to leave town at the same time all this is going down. Aro would be suspicious of that even if he didn't know of our connection, and then he would be suspicious. They all would," Carlisle explained.

"Fine, I'll stay, but I swear to you, if one hair on Bella's head is harmed, you will regret it. I don't care how much stronger you are. Strength be damned!" Charlie said, and he got up and left the room, followed by Harry.

"Don't worry about Charlie. He has been in a mood ever since you dropped your little mate bond on him," Billy said, looking at Carlisle like he was to blame. "I have to be honest: on behalf of the tribe, we are not all comfortable with the idea. Free will should have a say in who or ...what Bella becomes."

Carlisle sat back with an incredulous look on his face. "I know all about imprinting, Billy. You forget I knew your grandfather before I knew you. I know how that works, and it's just the same thing in another way," he said firmly. "Why don't you get to the heart of what's really bugging you? I know you care for Bella because she is your best friend's daughter. But this is about Charlie. I believe I can guess he mentioned that we have offered him the opportunity to follow Bella into this life so as not to lose her. That is what has you so upset."

Billy was quiet as he sat back in his chair. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am not happy with that. At all. Not only would I lose my best friend, he would have to be truly gone, as in, away from here. It would not be safe. Don't forget I too know all about the newborn stage of your...change. I know that to help him adjust to your style of feeding you would have to take him somewhere beyond remote for the safety of humans."

"Yes, he would have to go away for a few years, but after he gained control he would be just as safe as my family are around humans, Billy. And I doubt you would have a stronger ally who would be willing to stick around this area for generations to help protect your tribe," Carlisle said.

"This is not set in stone, Mr. Black," Alice said. "Charlie has not decided, though his decision will largely depend on Bella and we are a ways off from her being anywhere near that decision. She doesn't even know yet, and to be honest it's best if she discovers this on her own. The shock, you see, will be less. I've seen that if anyone decides to speed the process along, " she continued, glaring across the table at Rosalie, "Bella will be injured and be forced into it instead of making the decision on her own, no matter how happy I see her being once it's done. It's important for Bella that she choose."

Billy nodded, though he too glared at Rosalie, not liking the idea of the bratty vampire causing any harm to Bella or any human out of spite. "Very well. I will keep your words in mind and I will pass them along to the others on the council. Please let me know when you return from this meeting with Aro. Besides hearing what happened, we need to nail down the time for the training of the wolves. Sam is becoming more confident in his ability to wield the alpha power, for now. So the sooner we get the training going, the better," Billy said, and then he too rose left the room.

Alice looked around the table at her family before settling her gaze on Carlisle. "Aro will need to be supplied with blood if you don't wish him and his little band of guards to make meals of people so close to us," she said, frowning.

"As a doctor, I have the perfect excuse to buy blood privately. I will get that arranged—and Edward, if you will be so kind as to make the pickup when I have it arranged, I would be very thankful," Carlisle said, standing up and thus declaring their meeting over.

"It's past ten at night. Where can you possibly be going at this hour? I know you aren't on shift," Esme said as she looked at Carlisle from across the table, and she too rose to her feet.

"I am going out for some fresh air, maybe a few deer if I come across any. Need to clear my head after that call with Aro," Carlisle said, striding toward the door.

"Just don't let her see you through the window, okay?" Alice said, causing his feet to freeze in place for a moment. They all chuckled as he grunted in annoyance and fled the house at a normal vampire speed. "Bella is going to change him so much. It will be a relief to see him act his age instead of being the elder all the time," Alice commented. They all got up and scattered for their various nighttime pursuits to pass the time before the humans woke again for another day.

~{}~

Carlisle gasped as he gazed longingly at the brunette through the window. His gentlemanly side was cringing at the thought that there he was, perched in a tree invading a woman's privacy and spying on her through her own window. But the man in him, the mate, longed to crash through the friable glass and hold her close in his arms. She sat on her bed, back against the headboard, while she fiddled around with her iPhone, apparently trying to learn how to use everything and get it set the way she liked it. But what was killing him was the fact that she was dressed only in a pale blue tank top with matching boy-short style shorts or panties. He couldn't figure out if they were either, so he tried not to stare and think about it. Suddenly she sighed and dropped the phone on her bedside table, and she drew her knees up and put her arms around them and lay her head on them and just gazed across her room towards the other window behind her desk. He watched her for a few moments, wondering what could make her look so sad. Then she huffed and straightened herself out on the bed, flinging her arms over her face.

"Stop it, Bella! He couldn't possibly like you! Just stop!" she told herself quietly but firmly as she lay there fighting an internal battle.

Carlisle inched forward, wishing desperately to know whether his hopes were true and she was referring to him or possibly meant someone else. Just when he thought the wondering might drive him insane she removed her arms from over her face and looked at the ceiling.

"Get a grip. You need the job, and crushing on your boss, who is older and much more attractive than you, will not help you with your future schooling plans," she scolded herself. She turned over on her side with another huff and turned out the light.

Carlisle watched her from the window for hours, even after she fell asleep, a goofy grin on his face knowing that they were so definitely meant to be. Now he just had to make sure he slowed down and allowed her to ease into what was to come, for her own sake. He would never want to rush the end of her human life, no matter how much he looked forward to officially claiming her as his own.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: An Invitation**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyer's. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

Bella smiled as she made her way through the creaking glass doors of the emergency room on Friday morning, at the end of her first week working for Carlisle. She was happy to be so settled in and feeling as if she was doing a good job, but today was also  
sad for her—a fact she was trying to fight off and ignore, because that crushing part of her kept reminding her that the weekend was here...and after she left today she would not see him again until Monday when they left for Seattle. That made the  
crushing part of her very sad, and the determined worker who wished to earn enough for college very exasperated.

She nodded to the nurses as she passed, careful to keep her walk just fast enough to not invite any chit-chat or questions yet not so fast as to make it blatantly obvious that she was trying to avoid them. As soon as she was through the safety of the  
inner doors that led to all the offices she let out a breath of relief. Out of the corner of her eye she had seen the blonde nurse start her way with a determined look on her face. She made it to the office and tried the door handle and was surprised  
to find that it was locked. All week Carlisle had beaten her to work and she had tried not to look timid each time she waltzed into the office, afraid she might be interrupting something even though she hadn't received a text alerting her to that  
fact.

After getting herself settled she walked back out and headed to the main desk where the mail room was. Besides having cubbies for all the doctors and staff for incoming mail, there were cubbies for all paperwork that had to be passed between departments.  
She grabbed the two large stacks of mail and the contents of Carlisle's personal tray and hefted them back to the office to sort them. She was relieved at how easy it was to sort all the different papers and files already; it only took her five minutes  
to have everything she was allowed to work through on her desk and the rest stacked neatly in Carlisle's in-tray, all of it sorted according to importance.

Carlisle had never asked her to do this, but she wanted to be helpful and she imagined between actually treating and operating on patients that small bit of help might be, well...helpful. She started in on her papers, making note of appointments and reminders  
she would send to his calendar from her phone. She was just getting to the inch-tall stack of records she would need to make corrections to when Carlisle walked into the office with a smile. He placed a large cup of coffee on her desk and greeted  
her. "Morning, Dr. Cullen," Bella replied, nodding her thanks for the coffee. She had already fought that battle and realized she would not win. He had insisted. Truth be told, she didn't want to argue because the coffee that Esme made was a million  
times better then the swill from the hospital and was actually even better than any she had ever had at Starbucks back in Arizona.

"Bella," Carlisle said, getting her attention after she had taken her first sip and smiled. "If you wouldn't mind, my sister will be by in a while. She wanted me to let her talk to you, but I figured It would be in my best interest if I gave you fair  
warning." He looked a bit sheepish when Bella turned to look at him. Seeing he had her attention, he went on. "She wants to invite you over this weekend so you can meet the rest of the family—you and your father, actually," he said, trying to gauge  
the reaction he could see happening in her eyes.

"For dinner or something?" she asked, curious. She was trying to keep her emotions calm and in check, but inside, the crushing side was doing a happy dance that she wouldn't have to wait until Monday to see him again.

"Actually she wanted to invite you for family game night. I'm sure she will have some food set up buffet style in the kitchen for everyone to help themselves. No pressure, I just wanted you to have a heads-up because I feel as if you are less than comfortable  
with new people. But while you think it over, please keep in mind that my family is very welcoming and the pressure for everyone to focus on the town newcomer will be considerably less because of how competitive my family tends to be when games are  
involved. So it's the perfect way to introduce you, really," he said, chuckling as he thought of their antics on game night.

"What kind of games does your family like to play?" Bella asked, wondering whether she or her father would even have fun in such a hyper-sounding environment.

"You name it, we play it. From video games to card games to board games, we play so many things; and if you and your father were to attend, as guests you would get to pick what we played. We wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable with something new—if  
you didn't want to try something new, that is," he said.

Bella nodded and looked down at her desk for a moment. When she looked back at him she saw he was watching her. He looked away as she started to blush, cursing herself for the habit that seemed a million times worse around him. "I would love to join you  
guys, and I'll tell Esme so when she gets here. But I'm not so sure about my dad. He is more the boat and fish or ball game kind of guy when it comes to downtime. I think the best bet would be poker and such because he does engage in those kinds of  
games now and then with his friends Billy and Harry," she added, with a thought to how Charlie got dragged into their poker nights once in a while. "But I'm not sure whether he would be willing to play for money. He usually stays clear of most of  
Billy and Harry's games because he says they are always cheating him out of his paycheck somehow, though he has never been able to prove how they do it," she explained, chuckling.

"Well, I'm sure most of us would be more than willing to play some poker. I can say that Jasper, Alice and Edward will likely choose to play another game. But if that happens, don't feel as if you would be excluding them by your choice of game. They are  
generally acknowledged as the cheaters in our family so it's more to keep the peace. Besides, they feel it challenges them more to play against each other since they all three like to cheat," Carlisle explained, laughing.

~{}~

Sure enough, Esme invited Bella and her father to game night on Saturday, explaining that anytime after three in the afternoon would be a good time to come over. So Bella drove right behind her dad as they made their way over to the Cullens' house outside  
of town. At first her dad had wanted her to ride with him, but after all these years Bella still hated the idea of riding around in the cruiser and was quite adamant that she might want to stay later than he would, and also it would be more convenient  
to have separate cars if he got a call from the station. That way she could drive herself home and not have to ask to be driven home by the Cullens. Charlie agreed, though Bella was curious as to why he agreed so quickly when she mentioned getting  
a ride home with one of the Cullens.

Her eyes nearly bugged out as she pulled up the winding drive into a clearing where a massive three-story house stood. The gloomy afternoon light filtered through the clouds and trees, lightening the plantation style of the exterior. On the covered porch  
stood Carlisle and Esme and a bouncy, excited-looking pixie of a girl that Bella assumed had to be the Alice Carlisle had mentioned a few times. She parked her truck and cut the loud engine, then got out and followed her dad as she looked up at the  
large house, wondering just how big it was. She knew Carlisle was a surgeon, but she suspected they must have some family money because she couldn't imagine a small hospital in Forks paying him enough to bea able to afford a place like this.

As soon as Bell approached the porch the pixie-like girl flew at her and wrapped her in an enthusiastic hug. "Oh my god! Bella! I've been so excited about finally meeting you. I'm so glad you agreed to join us for game night! Carlisle said you guys would  
probably prefer cards, so we have everything set up—we even have a massive collection of poker chips, just in case. No buy-in... just fun and games and oh my god, you have to come see the house, let me show you around!" she squealed.

Bella looked over the pixie's shoulder to her father and Carlisle, who had already greeted each other and were chuckling about Alice and her overwhelming welcome. Bella frowned slightly when Charlie actually laughed out loud at her expression and actually  
left her to the wolves. Or pixie wolf. "Go ahead, Bella, I've been here many times. Have a look around. Alice will show you everything!" he encouraged, smiling at her as she huffed and was dragged inside the grand house by the pixie's hold on her  
arm. She shot a look at Carlisle, wishing she could have spent some time alone with him before being in the company of so many people, but she sighed and let herself be led away. She knew that when they got to Seattle she would have some time to go  
to bookstores and stuff with him when he wasn't at the actual conference.

"So, Bella, Carlisle's told me so much about you. I think we are going to be great friends, you know," Alice said, smiling brightly as she led Bella up the stairs to start with the top floor.

"This is what we refer to as the Couples floor," she said, chuckling as she pointed out the long hallway with only three doors. "Rosalie and Emmett share the room at the very end—for good reason, they are very loud—and this first one is mine and Jasper's  
room." She opened the door and dragged Bella in so she could see the massive room. "Of course, we wanted the bigger room down the hall, but we settled for the smaller one. The room next door was converted into my closet so that was our family compromise,"  
Alice explained as she threw open the door to the "closet".

Bella gaped at the massive amounts of clothes. There were enough clothes to stock a clothing store along with all the shoes, accessories, and jewelry that ten people could ever use. Just as Bella was thinking that, Alice quipped, "I know a lot of this  
is last season but the shipment of my fall and winter selections has been delayed, can you believe it? " Bella shook her head and was about to ask about these clothes when Alice answered her question before she could ask it. "I would offer you anything  
you want out of these, since the whole lot will be donated of course, but I think you are a bit bigger in the chest and taller so there isn't much that would fit you just right. You are so lucky to have curves!" Alice exclaimed, causing Bella to blush.

"Thanks," she said as Alice led her back out of the room and down to the second floor.

"This is where the others sleep. Edward and Esme are both at the end of the right side, while Carlisle has the entire south corridor to himself." Alice smiled as she led Bella towards the closest of the two doors on the left side. Bella moved to stop  
Alice, fearing she was about to see Carlisle's bedroom, which would be very weird and make her feel as if she was invading his privacy—almost like reading his diary or something—but was relieved at Alice's next words as she opened the door. "This  
is Carlisle's office-slash-study," she said. "He told me all about your love of books so I figured you would enjoying seeing this," she said, smiling hugely.

Bella stood in awe as she took in the whole room. The wall across from her was all glass with a gorgeous view of the forest and the river behind the house. Right by the windows it boasted a set of oversized chairs a person could sink into with a good  
book, with a small table in between them. To the right was an ornate blue chaise longue that looked like a piece fit for royalty with its rich fabric and intricately carved legs and base. But even more impressive were the other three walls, filled  
floor to ceiling with books—hundreds if not thousands of books. Each wall boasted its own attached rolling ladder so you could reach the topmost shelves. The room was huge, and other than the seats against the glass wall and a large ornate desk in  
the center of the room, it was all about the books.

Bella kind of drifted away from Alice and started at the far side of the left wall, looking through the massive collection of every type of book imaginable. She was so engrossed she hardly heard when a male voice called out to Alice, who excused herself  
and told Bella to take her time looking around. Bella was in awe of the books, and not just the new ones. She was fascinated by some she thought might possibly be first editions. The temptation to open them up and see was overwhelming, but the fear  
that she might harm such valuable pieces would haunt her for the rest of her life if she were to bend or rip something, so she resisted.

But when she reached the middle of the main wall opposite the glass wall, she couldn't resist any longer. There was a whole section of classic English literature, everything from Austin to Hardy. They were all here together and all of them first editions,  
like most of the books she had seen. She picked up her favorite, with the original binding, and felt like she might cry as she carefully turned some pages of _Wuthering Heights_. The smell of the old paper and ink was intoxicating; she would  
never have thought it possible that she would get to hold something so precious—like a Monarchist fangirl getting to hold the crown jewels and wear them around, only she was holding a first edition of her favorite book.

Forcing herself to carefully close it and put it back on the shelf, she heard a throat clearing and thanked God that she had already placed the book on the shelf because she was so startled she might have dropped it.

Turning with a hand held to her rapidly beating heart, she looked towards the door to see Carlisle standing there, smiling happily at her. "I see you found the library. I could have guessed you would be sidetracked if she brought you into my favorite  
room of the house. I'm kind of jealous, actually, that she didn't wait and let me be the one to show you this room," he commented.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your personal space, and I also apologize for touching the book!" Bella said, scrambling with her words, her eyes as big as saucers. "I promise I was really careful and I really don't think I hurt any of the  
pages…."

"Bella, please, I am not nor would I ever be mad at someone for touching my books who has a love of them as I do. You are more than welcome to not only touch but to read anything you see on these shelves," he stated. He walked over to her and laid his  
hand on her shoulder for just a moment in hopes of calming her down.

Bella gasped at his touch. What felt like a bolt of electricity traveled from that spot through her clothes and her entire body. She looked up and realized that his face held a shocked look as well, as if he had felt the same. They stared at each other  
for a moment and Bella could almost swear she saw him move a bit closer but she couldn't tell forsure. Before either of them could say a word, voices were heard coming from the hallway. Carlisle quickly dropped his hand from her shoulder but  
neither of them dropped their eyes until Bella saw movement in the doorway. When her eyes finally left his,Carlisle sighed, almost sounding defeated, Bella thought. He turned to see Alice and a curly-haired blond man coming in the door.

"Bella, this is Jasper, my husband. Jasper, this is Bella," Alice exclaimed as she dragged him a bit closer…but not close enough to shake hands.

"Nice to meet you, Jasper," Bella said, noticing that Carlisle quietly stepped to her side, though not standing as close as Alice and Jasper were. She wanted to hit her head against the wall at the pang of disappointment that their moment—whatever it  
had been—seemed to be over. He was standing close, but not close enough somehow.

"I've heard much about you, ma'am," Jasper said, a southern twang telling Bella that he was definitely not from around here.

"I wish I could say the same, though I think I've been so busy trying to learn the job it doesn't really leave much time for socializing when we're at the hospital. Not to mention I wouldn't dream of interrupting Carlisle just for some simple chatting  
while he's working," she added, blushing as she looked down at her feet.

"Don't be silly!" Alice said, smiling brightly as she looked from Carlisle to Bella, hoping to give her a reprieve. "I know Carlisle loves to have nice chats while he's at work, and I'm sure he would love to chat with you. We've heard nothing but good  
things about you since you arrived. I have to say, I was very jealous that Esme got to meet you already. I would have been there that day, too, but Jasper needed my help with something—and Esme felt it might be a bit overwhelming if the whole family  
barged in to introduce ourselves the first morning you arrived," Alice explained.

Jasper looked first at Bella's huge eyes, showing her shock, and then at Carlisle, who shook his head and slapped a hand over his eyes in mock despair, and burst out laughing, causing Carlisle to laugh as well. "Darlin', please bring it down a notch,  
will ya? I know you're excited to meet the girl but you're just freaking her out with your energy," Jasper said, laughing some more.

Alice frowned at him and then looked at Bella and smiled sheepishly. "I'm so sorry if I'm overwhelming you. I've just been really looking forward to meeting you. Charlie has talked of you for years so I feel as if I know you already, and I know that you  
don't know us. Forgive me, and if I start being overwhelming again, please just be honest and tell me and I will do my best to correct that kind of behavior," Alice said, looking sincere and holding out a hand to shake Bella's.

Bella smiled lightly and shook it, then Alice turned away and dragged Jasper out of the room. But on the way out the door she threw out a comment that made Bella turn redder than she had in a long time. "Besides, I would hate myself if I pushed away the  
woman Carlisle has eyes for!"

 **Author's Note:** _ **Soo... yeah I decided to cut it here so that teasing wouldn't be so bad. If I cut it a few paragraphs further down you would all hunt me down and kill me lol. Also, I was at 5,200 words so I had to cut it somewhere! Sheesh... Got to love NaNoWriMo! *HUGS* Please read and review!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Game Night at the Cullen House**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyers. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

The silence that followed that comment was deafening and Bella could almost swear she heard someone hiss from downstairs. Not to mention she was also wondering why Alice's hand was freezing. She looked at the floor, her face beet-red; she was afraid to  
look at Carlisle while her thoughts were all over the place. _I've been here a week and a half, he can't possibly! I'm so much younger than he is! Could he possibly have a thing for me?_ she thought frantically. Bella was lost in her mind until  
she felt another shock as Carlisle lightly placed his hand on her arm. "Bella, please forgive Alice. She is a bit spirited and tends to run twenty steps ahead of everyone. I do apologize if she made you feel at all uncomfortable just now."

Bella could feel his eyes on her, and a tingling where his hand touched her arm. She took a deep breath and looked up at him once again. "I..." she started, but words failed her as they seemed to be locked in each other's gaze.

"Bella," Carlisle started, but words failed him. He huffed in frustration but still didn't look away. He reached out for her other hand, stepping closer to her and pulling her so she stood facing him directly, and his eyes drifted down from hers slightly  
for a brief second.

To her lips.

Bella's heart suddenly felt as if it would beat right out of her chest as she watched him slowly lean in. She felt as if she was in a daze. _He is going to kiss me. He is going to kiss me!_ Just as she thought he was going to, he suddenly pulled  
away and dropped his hands from her arms. Bella opened her eyes, not even realizing she had closed them, and looked at him as he stared at her. Suddenly her mind went haywire again, wondering if he had really wanted to kiss her or if she had somehow  
led him on. Luckily his words calmed her worries some, though they excited her more than a little.

"Forgive me, Isabella," he began. "I want to kiss you, so much that you wouldn't be able to comprehend, truly, but I realize that to you this must be much too fast. I know you haven't known me long and we do work together, so it could make things awkward.  
I just…I can't tell you how or why, but I like you, Miss Swan, very much. I wonder if you might allow me to get to know you with the intention of courting you?" he asked, looking nervous though she noticed that he didn't seem to be sweating even a  
bit.

Bella's face was blank as she processed his words, staring at him while she tried to make her brain wrap around his words in such a way that she might be able to comprehend. "Carlisle, you l-like me? Really? I mean, I am only eighteen and you are…not,"  
she began, rushing her words. "Not to mention you are friends with my father, sort of—and you're right, I do work for you so that could get you in trouble." She was about to go on but she drew in a breath when he lightly placed his fingers on her  
mouth to quiet her, sending yet another shock of electricity through her body and making her shudder.

"Bella, I know it may be complicated—truly, you don't know how complicated—but I don't care, to be honest. I have never felt an attraction to any woman before like I have this past week and a half with you. I like you and I just...I feel we have a connection  
of some kind. I would love it if you would allow me to court you so we may explore this connection and see if there might be something much deeper between the two of us." He stepped forward again and lightly nudged her chin up.

"I..." she started, but as usually happened around this tall blond god of a man, her words failed her. Instead of trying to speak, she leaned up suddenly and threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.

At first Carlisle was shocked but his vampire reflexes kicked in and with a guttural moan he wrapped his arms around her and walked her the few steps back until she was against the shelves. Their lips parted ways for a moment and they opened their eyes,  
both of them breathing a bit heavily though Carlisle was not necessarily in need of air. Bella smiled lightly and he returned it before he lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her lips in return. This time, after several soft kisses and movements,  
Carlisle grazed her lips lightly with his tongue, asking for access. Bella moaned and opened her mouth and accepted his tongue with a greeting of her own as they deepened their kiss.

Her legs started to shake a bit as if she might drop to the floor, so Carlisle pulled closer to her, basically wedging her between him and the shelves as their mouths continued to move. When he sensed she needed some air, he kissed across her mouth and  
chin, then down her neck, until he was kissing lightly behind her ear. Her heated breath hit his own ear, causing him to moan again. He pulled his lips away from her skin and just stayed there, her breath in his ear, his breath in her hair as she  
gasped for air.

Slowly he pulled his head back and gazed at her, smiling when he saw the blatant need in her eyes that surely matched his own. He was about to say something when her face took on a confused look.

"Huh—I could have sworn your eyes were this really unique amber color, but right now they are pure black," she said in whispered wonder, more to herself really than as a question to him.

Carlisle lowered his face to hers again and lightly brushed his lips across hers before suddenly pulling away and heading towards his desk, leaving her still braced against the shelves.

Bella looked at him, wondering if mentioning his eye color had somehow upset him. But he looked back at her a moment later and she realized his eyes were once again amber colored. Before she could even phrase the question, he spoke.

"Bella, there is a lot about me that you don't know," he said, lowering his gaze. He looked back up at her and went on to say, "I should say, that you don't know yet. But I promise when the time is right I will share everything with you, whatever you  
want to know. For now, let me apologize for getting carried away just now. That should not have happened." Her face fell and he realized how she must have perceived his words. "Don't misunderstand me, Isabella," he said quickly. He strode back over  
and grasped her chin again, looking at her with a passionate expression. "I enjoyed kissing you, very much. But this is new and we do hardly know each other so it was ungentlemanly of me to take advantage—" But she interrupted him.

"Wait—you were going to kiss me first, but you didn't. I kissed you. So what just happened was in no way your fault, and there was nothing wrong with it as far as I am concerned. As to your question from earlier, yes, I would love to get to know you with  
the intention of...being courted...as you put it. You must realize how unique that term is. I am a fan of the classics and that is the only place I ever hear words like 'courting'," she said, blushing as she looked at him and smiled.

"Well…that is, okay," he said awkwardly.

His words didn't quite make sense in general but Bella caught the gist and looked at him approvingly through her blush. "Let's go downstairs before my father calls the station and sends up a search party to find me," she said, turning away.

Just as they reached the door Carlisle clasped her hand and pulled slightly, getting her to look back up at him. "We will talk again later this evening, if time permits," he promised, and he smiled at her reassuringly and gave her hand a final squeeze,  
then followed her out into the hall and closed the door.

~{}~

Bella tried to ignore the looks and therefore the blushing she felt very prominently across her features as she made her way back downstairs and realized that the rest of the family were all gathered together talking, including her father. So her entrance  
was rather grand and everyone looked their direction with various expressions as she made her way down the stairs followed by Carlisle.

Across the room, next to where her father and Esme sat together on the couch, was a couple she had yet to meet but she assumed were Rosalie and Emmett. Emmett seemed quite friendly and was giving her a big smile, but her own faltered a bit when she met  
the cold gaze of the blonde bombshell sitting in his lap. Bella looked away from that steely-eyed gaze and looked instead at her father, who was trying not to look at her.

"Thank you all for waiting. I managed to tear Bella away from her books so I think it is time we get these games started," Carlisledeclared happily, and he motioned for everyone to make their way into the dining room. Bella didn't know it but the  
usual table that was in the room was gone, replaced with a round table set up with green felt, poker chips, and several decks of cards. There was room enough for all of them. She watched as the others filed past, and as soon as Emmett got near her  
she gasped when he suddenly lifted her clear off the floor and into a great bear hug. She could breathe, but just barely.

"Bells!" he exclaimed, startling Bella a bit since only her father had ever called her by that nickname. "Charlie and Carlisle have talked of nothing but you forever. I'm so happy to finally meet you!" he exclaimed. She chuckled and as her feet finally  
touched back down she looked up at the happy giant and smiled.

"Emmett, I've heard a bit about you and it is a pleasure," she replied.

Emmett put his arm around Rosalie and pulled her to his side to face Bella. "Bells, this is my wife, Rosalie. Now, she is not one to meet new people, so please don't take offense," he pleaded, his smile faltering. Rosalie gave him a very dark look before  
looking at Bella and giving a slight nod, a reluctant grimace on her face.

"Nice to meet you," Bella mumbled, quailing under Rosalie's cold eyes. The only thing that kept Bella from looking away from such a hostile face was Rosalie's eyes. Then Bella looked at Emmett's as well and noticed that their eye color was the same as  
Carlisle's—and when she looked over at Esme, who was chatting with the pixie Alice and her husband Jasper and a bronze-haired man who she assumed was Edward, she realized all of their eyes were the same color. Hearing a scoffing noise, she looked  
back at the cold blonde's face and then to Emmett, who was watching her but still smiling.

"Excuse me a moment. I'm just going to…" Bella started vaguely, gesturing towards the hall. She fled the room and turned toward the front door. She didn't know where the restroom was on the first floor, as Alice had only shown her the upper floors before  
taking her to the study.

Before the Kiss.

Before she'd started to notice how strange anddifferent their eyes were.

Bella closed the front door behind her as quietly as she could manage and walked down a few steps before sinking down and resting her arms on her knees and looking out across the trees. _What is so different about them that causes their eyes to be the same, when not all of them are supposed to be related by blood? I've seen and read about strange eye colors before, namely eyes so blue they were violet, and the like. But I've never once read about or seen amber-colored eyes that shine like molten honey,_ she  
thought.

She sat there for maybe ten minutes in peace as she contemplated the strangeness. Even though it was indeed peculiar, she felt no trepidation about it, only curiosity.

"Bells," her dad said, closing the door and joining her on the steps.

She looked at him, smiling lightly, and they settled into the silence for a bit, just enjoying the company and silence. It was always so easy for both of them to be just be.

After noticing the sky was darkening slightly through the increasing clouds, Charlie broke the silence, thinking they should go in soon to avoid being soaked by the rain he knew was supposed to head in with the latest jet stream. "So, care to tell me  
what happened in there? Was Rosalie really mean to you or something? I've not had the chance to really get to know her, she is really stand-offish, but I've learned over the years if you don't want to deal with her attitude, just ignore her," he explained.

Bella chuckled. "No, Dad, it's not that. I mean, yeah, she was a bit cold in there with me, but that's not what had me wanting to escape," she replied. She clasped her hands together and pursed her lips as she considered her words and then leaned towards  
him, speaking softly even though she knew they were outside and unlikely to be overheard since the windows and doors were closed.

Little did she know no one moved in thedining room no one moved as the whole family listened and shared looks.

"Dad, you've known the Cullens a long time, right?" she asked. Acknowledging his nod, she went on quietly, "Have you ever noticed anything...strange...about them?" she asked.

Charlie sighed and looked at her. When he finally replied, he didn't bother to speak as quietly as she had. He knew very well that all of the Cullens could hear every word they said from this distance whether they whispered in each other's ear or not.  
"What exactly happened? What did you...notice?" he asked a bit evasively. He knew she would find out the truth eventually, and given her temperament he felt she was unlikely to have a meltdown even if she were to find out now. But knowing what he  
did, he did not want her to have her world turned upside down just yet. He loved his daughter and would have protected her from that truth if he could. _Even if only for a few hours longer_ , he thought sadly.

"Their eyes," she said quietly. "They aren't supposed to be related, not all of them,but they all have these amber eyes. I've never even heard of eyes that color, and when I met Carlisle and his sister I thought it was just a strange family trait  
or something. And I didn't really think about it until I noticed the eyes, but they are cold. I mean, their skin, it's so cold—like they have been sitting in ice baths. Also, I don't know this for sure, I just noticed it, but it seems like they don't  
even sweat or something," she mumbled, regretting mentioning that part. Luckily her dad didn't ask what exactly had drawn her attention to the fact that the Cullens didn't sweat.

Charlie was quiet for a few moments, trying to think whether there was some way for him to talk her down from her suspicions. But lying to her—especially with all that was going on—was not something he wanted to do. Ever. That deep-down part of him that  
cautioned, _"You're a cop, she should be fully informed for her own safety!"_ was screaming at him. He brought his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose before finally looking at his eighteen-year-old daughter. "Here is the thing,  
Bells—because yes, there are reasons for the sorts of…differences…you have noticed. But the explanations are just, well, crazy-sounding, to be honest. It took me a long time to come to grips with what I learned when I was dragged into their world  
years ago. Billy and Harry actually dragged me into it, with the Cullens' insistence," he added, sounding only slightly resentful.

With a huff he went on. "So if you want to know everything, I will tell you if it's that important to you to know right now. But if that's the case, I will be calling Billy, Harry, and Sam to come over. Because if I tell you, you're going to get all the  
facts, and it's a bit easier to believe when you see certain things they can show you," he added, not trying to sound cryptic about it or make her more curious. He just wanted to forewarn her how serious this would be…or at least how hard it would  
be to fathom without proof.

Bella looked at her father, her mind wandering through the possibilities. Working undercover or with criminals didn't seem plausible, especially with the eyes, skin temperature, and such. Her mind went to aliens, but she shook her head minutely, knowing  
that would be ridiculous. But she also considered her father's words; he had never spoken like this before. Her father was a pragmatist through and through. He didn't believe in unseen things. So for him to need others to join them to explain something  
that was supposedly so unbelievable, she knew whatever it was had to be serious.

"Call Billy and the others from the rez that you want to show up. I am starting to get a bit freaked out, 'cause I know how much of a realist you are. So for you to be convinced of something that is normally unbelievable to most people, I think you need  
to tell me. Tell me everything, Dad," she said, her voice laced with curious resolve.

Her dad looked over his shoulder and said, "Carlisle, please call them and ask them to join us." He didn't yell but said this as quietly as he'd been talking to her, as if Carlisle was standing with them now, not through a distance filled with walls and  
glass and other rooms.

Bella looked at her father, further questions rising in her eyes. "Dad, the Cullens are inside the house. They can't hear us," she said, then added, her eyes a bit wider, "can they?"

"Yes, they can," he answered, looking his daughter in the eye solemnly.

 **Author's Note:** _ **Can't tell if you will want to kill me for cutting it here or not. Probably... but I am cranking these chapters out due to NaNoWriMo of course so you won't have to wait long! *HUGS* and please read and review!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Truth**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyers. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

Bella's eyes widened a bit at the idea that the Cullens could hear everything she'd said to her dad in the last few minutes. Then her head dropped into her hands and she groaned in mortification. Because if that was true, that meant it was possible that  
the rest of Carlisle's...family...could have heard what happened between them in his study. The Kiss, the moaning, everything.

"Bells?" Charlie asked, not sure what she was feeling but worried that she was upset already even though he hadn't told her everything yet. "What is it? Are you changing your mind? You don't need to hear everything now if you don't want to," he said,  
hoping she would take him up on that offer even though his rational side knew it was way too late to turn back now.

"No, that's not it, Dad. Don't worry about it," she hedged, not wanting to go into the kissing part with her dad just yet. Yes, she was eighteen and an adult, but she was still his daughter and Carlisle was a bit older, so she figured with whatever she  
was about to learn she didn't want to make their evening even more stressful than she felt it would be. "So how do we want to have this conversation?" she asked, grasping at straws to change the subject away from her blushing thoughts of the not-so-private  
kissing.

"Well, that depends on you, Bells. If you would rather everyone gathered in the dining room, we can all do that. But if you would rather it be a bit smaller, I can ask Carlisle to join us when Billy and the rest arrive," he offered.

Bella considered this. Even though she didn't know quite what was ahead of her, she knew that it would probably be best if everyone was there since all of them knew what she didn't. But thoughts of the cold stare from the blonde Rosalie made her hesitate.  
She didn't know why Rosalie seemed to not like her even though they had just met, but she didn't like the uncomfortable feeling the woman left with her. _I guess it doesn't matter if she doesn't like me; it's not like it will change whatever it is I am about to hear_ ,  
she thought. "Let's do this with everyone—might as well," she finally answered.

At just that moment Esme came out onto the porch and smiled lightly at Bella when she and her father looked toward the door after hearing it open. "We are setting up the dining table out back. It might be best if we were outside, since you wanted Sam  
to join us," Esme explained. She looking at Charlie, who nodded in understanding. "Just come on back when the rez men get here," she added, then she turned away and quietly walked back into the house.

Bella looked to her dad, questions forming again in her eyes, but Charlie just shook his head and scooted closer to her, throwing his arm around her shoulder. This shocked Bella a bit because her dad was not an openly affectionate man; she sensed he just  
needed a bit of closeness with his daughter for a moment. "So how long have you been dealing with whatever is going on?" Bella asked him. The silence was starting to make her feel jumpy.

Charlie huffed. "Bells, I've been in this whole situation since a few years after your mother left with you. Right before I finally got her to let you start coming here for summer breaks to see me," he said, sounding a bit tired or worn.

They were quiet for the next fifteen minutes until they heard the truck coming up the winding driveway. As soon as it pulled to a stop Charlie gave her a quick squeeze and dropped his arm from her shoulders. She stood up and watched as he walked across  
the yard and conversed quietly with Billy for a second. Billy nodded, a grim look on his face. He turned to look at her and tried to smile lightly. "Evening, Bells," he said.

Bella nodded and watched Billy and Harry walk with Charlie back towards her. Sam hopped out of the back of the truck wearing cutoff shorts and nothing else, not shoes or anything. He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder and whispered something in his ear,  
gaining a nod. Then he started to walk around the house.

"Bells, let's go out back. The Cullens are waiting for us," he said, sounding tired. He motioned for her to walk with them around the house instead of going inside, so she followed.

~{}~

Carlisle frowned as he watched Sam come around the house, his eyebrows raising in question since he had been waiting and watching for the back door to open.

Sam snorted. "I am not walking barefoot through your house. Do you think I want Esme to yell at me again for getting muddy footprints all over her white carpet?" he quipped.

"Hey," Esme exclaimed from her seat at the end of the table up on the covered deck. "You could wear shoes, you know," she chided him.

"I only have one pair left, Miss Esme," he replied. "Emily took them from me and said I couldn't have them unless there wasn't any danger of me shifting." He chuckled.

She laughed lightly in understanding as she watched him make his way up the steps towards the bench seat at the edge of the deck. He sat down and smirked when she frowned, having expected him to sit with them. But she understood his reasoning so she left  
it alone and stood as she saw Charlie, Bella, Billy, and Harry making their way around the corner into view. "Would any of you like something to drink before we get started?" Esme offered.

"Beer if you got some vitamin R," Billy retorted.

"Sure—same for you, Harry? Charlie? What can I get for you, Bella?" she asked.

Charlie and Harry also agreed to a beer and Bella asked for a soda if they had it. Esme swept into the house to get their drinks. Carlisle smiled encouragingly at Bella and held back from letting his smile grow when she chose an empty seat next to him.  
Her dad and the others sat on her other side, across from most of the Cullen family. Bella, noticing that Rosalie was not present, quirked an eyebrow in question. "I'm afraid Rosalie had some work she wanted to finish in the garage. So she will not  
be joining us," Carlisle said, answering her unasked question.

"Ain't that a blessing for us all," Billy said grumpily, smirking when Alice, Jasper, Edward, and even Carlisle chuckled. "Sorry, man," he said to Emmett, who was frowning at him. "But your wife is just scary sometimes. She needs to learn to relax a little,"  
he added.

"Here we are," Esme said, coming back with a tray of drinks which she set on the table in front of them. "Let me know if you need a refill," she offered kindly. As soon as the beers were opened and Bella had sipped some of her Dr. Pepper, the table seemed  
to grow a bit too quiet, prompting Carlisle to clear his throat and begin their talk.

"So we all know that we are here to explain some truths to Bella," he said, eyeing her closely before turning to her father. "Charlie, would you like us to start or would you rather explain the basics of the situation yourself?" he asked.

Charlie looked at Bella, who just looked back at him, and he sighed. "It's best if we start with me and then you guys can jump in with the major details," he replied. He was silent for a moment as he contemplated how to even begin. After a few minutes  
he looked at his daughter and grasped her hand in his. "So you have questions—about their eyes, about their skin temperature," he began.

Bella nodded, trying to ignore the intense stares she felt from everyone at the table.

"Bella, when I was still a deputy, Billy and Harry and they explained to me what I'm about to explain to you. I hadn't met the Cullens back then. This house, as you know, is quite isolated, and to my knowledge no one lived out here." His eyes had a faraway  
look as he remembered that first meeting so many years before. He motioned for the binder that was on the table, something Bella had failed to notice before. Charlie grabbed it, opened it to the first few pages, and set it in front of her.

She scrunched her brows as she observed the pictures in the old album. They were old pictures from the reservation—Billy's grandfather, if she remembered right from some of the old photos she had been shown when she was younger—but these photos had never  
been in those albums. Because standing next to Billy's grandfather was Carlisle. He looked the same age even in the old black and white photographs but he was dressed for that era. As she flipped through the pictures she saw a few with Edward, Rosalie,  
and Esme as well, but none of them had Alice, Jasper, or Emmett. She shook her head in a puzzled way as she tried to comprehend how this was possible. Of course her rational mind first considered that these could be their own grandparents, but the  
fact that they all looked identical to the present-day Cullens made her reject that rationalization. Looking up from the pictures, she glanced around the table at each of them before looking back at her dad. "How is this possible?" she asked.

"Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Edward were here in Forks back then, when they settled in the area the first time. They met Billy's grandfather, and after the tribe accepted the truth that the Cullens were no danger to them, they created a treaty. Back  
when I was a deputy they returned to reaffirm the treaty and to warn Billy and me of some trouble that is coming. They didn't move back right away, but they did help set in motion a lot of plans to help us band together and survive a conflict that  
is coming. Bells," he said grasping her hand. "The Cullens are not human anymore. They are vampires, though they are not like the majority of vampires in this world. They consider themselves vegetarians because they feed off wild animals like deer,  
mountain lions and bears. Now the tribe—most of them are human, yes, but for a select few, like Sam and some of the younger boys, having vampires nearby triggers a gene, as we understand it. Sam and some of the other rez boys are shapeshifters. They  
turn into wolves, something the men of the tribe have done for hundreds of years to protect the tribe from vampires, actually. But with the Cullens not being a danger, they have become allies," he said, feeling like a fool with every word he spoke.

Bella was quiet as she dropped her eyes back to the pictures in front of her, absorbing her father's words. Vampires, wolves, feeding off animals—she felt as if she was falling down the rabbit hole. As unreal as it was, it was her father saying these  
words to her, so she knew there had to be truth to his words, yet it still felt like some master joke. Finally her mind moved to his words about there being a conflict coming and she frowned. "What is coming that you have banded together for? How  
do you know something is coming, Dad? You said you were warned years ago, when you were still a deputy, yet whatever danger it is hasn't happened yet..."

Carlisle would have let out a breath of relief, if he had needed to breathe at all, since her words indicated she wasn't going to fight what she was hearing. "Bella, besides the fact that we are unique among our kind, several of us are quite exceptional  
in that we have certain…powers," Carlisle began. "Alice can catch glimpses of the future based on people's decisions. So the future of course, as she sees it, changes as we change our minds. Edward can hear what everyone is thinking—except for you—and  
Jasper can feel others' emotions as well as manipulate them if he wishes. Now, there is a large coven in Italy that has placed themselves as leaders of the vampire world for centuries. For the most part, our kind looks to and follows their laws which,  
again for the most part, are simple: keep the humans from knowing the truth—do not expose what we are," he explained.

"Over one thousand years ago the Volturi were not the ones who were in power. Two brothers from Romania were overthrown for trying to keep our world exposed, which vampires like the Volturi did not approve of. They wanted to rule everything, everyone,  
not just vampires. As far as the Romanians were concerned back then, humans were little better than cattle, not fit to be their own rulers. That is why there are so many stories and legends of not only vampires but other creatures such as the shapeshifting  
wolves of the tribe. But when the Volturi took power and the Romanian brothers, Stephen and Vladimir, went into hiding in their mountains, over time the Volturi made sure that the truth was reduced to mere stories, legends, and superstitions.

I'm sure you've heard the stories of Dracula and whatnot, haven't you?" he asked her. "Well, those stories are loosely based on the Romanian brothers. In fact, they do have a great castle where they have resided since that time, hidden deep in the Carpathian  
Mountains. They have a few talented vampires in thrall to them who help keep them from being discovered, for now. But it is known that they still wish to bring our world back into the light for the humans to see. They still want to rule, but having  
been cut off from the world for the most part they are not aware of just how dangerous that would be for us all, now that humans have created such powerful weapons that actually can kill us vampires."

"So the Romanians are going to make a play for power and the Volturi are going to fight them off if they can. Does that mean that your family and other vampires have to fight with the Volturi?" Bella asked, looking confused because it sounded as if this  
Volturi group was the lesser of the two evils.

"The problem is that Alice has seen that to be able to win this conflict, both the Volturi and the Romanians are looking for more than just superior numbers. They are looking for vampires with abilities like we have that they can use to overpower each  
other. Now the problem with the Volturi is that they are very power-hungry, even if for the most part they are good for us, taking the measures they do to keep our existence from the human race. They have kept power for so long because they have a  
large guard, most of whom have various talents that are more than enough to put fear into the majority of the vampire world. They would not let us just walk away after the fact if we were to join with them in the conflict, because they are too greedy  
for power. Alice and Edward in particular are coveted very much by Aro, one of the three Volturi leaders. He is their Collector," Carlisle explained.

"Alice has seen that if we band together with not only the tribe but with others we can convince to avoid choosing either side, we will have a good chance of surviving. This war that is coming will not happen far away—it will be everywhere. Now we know  
many vampires, and we are working to convince as many as we can to come join us here to make a stand and try to keep the worst from happening. Also, the more who band together to keep from being Collected, the easier it will be to prevent Aro from  
adding them to the Volturi guard."

Bella was quiet for a few moments, then she cocked her head to one side and looked at Carlisle. "You said earlier that Edward could hear everyone's thoughts but mine. Why is that? Is there something wrong with me, that he can't hear my thoughts?" she  
asked.

Edward started to chuckle and in turn everyone but Bella joined him in laughing. Edward stopped long enough to answer, "There is nothing wrong with you, though it is odd that I can't hear your thoughts. Carlisle has actually tried to study why some of  
us have such talents while others of us do not. For instance, he thinks that for some of us our talents may have been there while we were human, just not as powerful. They seem to be enhanced after the change. He has theorized that it's possible you  
have some kind of power which, if you were changed, would act like a shield of sorts."

Bella's eyes widened as she thought over his words, not about the shield but about being changed. "If I was changed?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper. "Does that mean we are going to be changed?" She, looked at her dad.

Charlie frowned and cast a look at Carlisle, who just looked back at him, allowing him to decide whether they were going to reveal that part of the truth yet. After deliberating for a few minutes, Charlie stood up and extended his hand to Bella. "Come  
walk with me for a bit," he said.

Bella took his hand and followed him down the stairs, casting a look over her shoulder at the others who were gathered. Her eyes lingered on Carlisle's for a moment and then she had to turn back around to keep from falling.

~{}~

Charlie led Bella away from the house for several minutes, along a path that brought them down to the side of the river. Night had fallen and so far the rain had not begun. He led her a ways along the bank until they came to some large boulders that would  
suit their need perfectly, and he sat down and looked out over the water silently for a few moments while he gathered his words. Considering how much they had revealed to her today, he was quite proud of her for not freaking out. Seeing her calm acceptance  
helped ease his mind a bit, but her question about being changed and his knowledge of why that was very possible still upset him. She was his little girl, after alland always would be. But even he had noticed the intense looks between her and  
Carlisle earlier, though he did not want to guess what might have happened while they were alone in the library upstairs. Charlie cringed when he tried to get those thoughts out of his head, very upset that the other Cullens had been either smiling,  
ribbing him, or whistling for a few minutes while Bella and Carlisle had been upstairs.

"Dad?" Bella prompted, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Right," he said. He looked at her and tried to focus his thoughts so he could get through this. "So, you wanted to know if we were going to be changed," he said, confirming where they were.

"Yes," she replied, looking at him.

Charlie looked back at her and sighed. "Bells, please don't get upset at me. I'm not trying to pry and I'm not mad. I just want you to be honest, please. Do you have some sort of feelings for Carlisle?" he blurted out, doing it fast, like ripping off  
a band-aid.

Bella was glad for the darkness as her cheeks colored and she looked away from his stare and into the water. "Yes," she replied simply.

"Then yes, there is a good chance we will be changed," he admitted.

Bella's brows scrunched together. "Dad, why would any...feelings...I have for C-Carlisle lead to us being changed into one of them?" she asked. She hesitated before adding, "Is there a problem with a human dating a vampire—besides the obvious, I guess?  
I mean, clearly they are tempted by blood so that could make it precarious possibly, and I assume the fact that we can die and they can't is a problem. But is there something else to this?" she asked, looking back at her dad.

"Bells, here is what I understand, okay?" he said. When she nodded he went on. "Vampires, they are a bit more like animals in a way, when they are turned from humans. Now, humans are emotional—they fall in love, they marry, sometimes they divorce. Vampires,  
it's more…primal for them. The Cullens explained that for them, they may date around but nothing is ever serious until they find their mate, as they put it. When they find that person it's like an instinct for them to stay together, and it's permanent.  
Forever," he emphasized, looking at her to make sure she was following. "Alice found Jasper and they have been together for over fifty years. Rosalie found Emmett when he was dying and they have been together even longer than that. Those two couples  
love each other, but it is more than that. They explained to me that what they feel when they find their mate is akin to true love," he explained.

Bella absorbed his words for a few moments, starting to blush when she thought of how she felt for Carlisle even though she had only just met him a little over a week ago. "Is it always so sudden? Does it ever take time for them to recognize their...mate?"  
she asked quietly.

"Most of the time it's instantaneous. But occasionally it can take time before both people feel it for it to really 'kick in,' as Carlisle put it," Charlie added, his thoughts going to Esme.

"Dad, is what I'm feeling for Carlisle, does he..." Bella started, but then faltered, her cheeks flaming.

Charlie jumped up off the rock and looked over Bella's shoulder, not able to really look her in the eye for a moment. When he managed to he said, "As it's your happiness at stake, I will let you be the judge of how you live your life. Just know that whatever  
you decide in the future, I will be in your life. I'm going to have Carlisle come join you because this is something you should discuss with him," he said, feeling a tightness in his chest. "Just please remember that you don't have to go along with  
anything unless it is truly something you want, do you understand?" he asked, wanting to ensure that she was choosing this and didn't feel obligated.

"I understand," she said, nodding towards him. She watched him as he frowned and turned back towards the path, leaving her in silence except for the sound of the river moving swiftly next to her.

Not even thirty seconds after she heard her father's footsteps fade away in the distance she started when she felt she wasn't alone, and she turned to see Carlisle standing a few feet from her.

 **Author's Note:** _ **Yep. Evil, I know... but hey, it's at 3,900! lol I had to stop somewhere! Please read and review!**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Conversation In The Woods.**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyer's. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

"Bella," Carlisle said, not stepping closer. They had all heard every word from the deck, so he had waited until he felt Charlie was far enough away before running at vampire speed to join Bella by the river. After hearing Charlie state that it was for  
Bella and him to discuss, Carlisle had quickly told Esme that he had his cell on him. He had every intention of keeping this conversation private and knew that to do so, he would have to take them further away from the house. "I don't know about you,  
but I would rather we have some true privacy for this discussion we need to have. My family can hear us from here, so if you will agree, I can take us further into the forest so we have more privacy," he said, holding out his hand to her.

Bella didn't even hesitate but grasped his cold hand and stood up. "Privacy sounds like a good idea," she said, hoping he couldn't hear the nerves in her voice.

Carlisle stepped closer and surprised her when he lifted her into his arms, scooping her up with one arm under her knees and the other holding her securely to his chest. "I am going to run, and we run faster than you can imagine. So if speed bothers you  
at all, just close your eyes and I will tell you when we stop, okay?" he asked, loving the feel of her in his arms. She put her own arms around his neck and held on tightly at his words.

"I'll go ahead and close my eyes to be on the safe side," she mumbled, and she closed them and laid her head on his shoulder. She felt him shift a bit but nothing else, so after a few moments she said quipped, "You can go now, I've braced myself."

Carlisle chuckled. "I'm already running," he replied with a smile.

Bella opened her eyes and then gasped and clung to him even tighter, seeing everything blur past her as he ran through the trees. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, and she closed her eyes against the sight, afraid that any second she would feel the pain of  
a collision with a tree.

Carlisle smiled at the feeling of her arms tightening, though his heart lurched a bit at the idea that his speed was scaring her. "Don't worry—besides being incredibly fast, our eyesight and reflexes are so great that we would not hit a thing unless I  
wanted us to—which of course I don't," he explained, hoping she would calm down a bit. After a few more minutes he came to another part of the river, further up in the mountains. "All right, I've stopped. This is a place I like to come and sit sometimes  
for the peace and quiet," he said.

Bella peeked open one eye and then the other with relief when she realized they were no longer moving. "For future reference, I'm not a fan of the speed. Make sure I have my eyes closed if we do that again," She said, only partly joking. She lowered her  
arms from his neck, thinking he was going to set her on her feet.

Carlisle didn't, though. Instead, he walked over the log he usually leaned back against and sat down on it, holding her firmly in his lap, not wanting to let her go.

Bella blushed when she realized he wasn't going to release her. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she settled her head back on his shoulder for a moment and just leaned into him while he held her close. "So," she said, after a few minutes of just  
enjoying his presence. "You're a vampire," she stated simply.

He chuckled. "Yes, I am a vampire," he affirmed.

"My dad mentioned...he tried to tell me about vampires and mates, then he left to get you," she added, blushing yet again. She cursed that response. "He said this was something for you and me to discuss," she went on to say.

"I very much appreciate your father allowing me to talk to you regarding this situation," he replied carefully.

Bella lifted her head at the words "this situation". Not "this subject". She looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"What your father explained about us and how we find our mates, all of it is true. What he left for me to tell you is that the moment I saw you come down those stairs that day Esme and I came to meet you, I felt that instinct, Bella." He moved his hand  
to her cheek and smiled happily at her while her eyes widened a bit, staring back at him. "Now I know you don't feel exactly as I do. In fact, I have never heard of a vampire feeling the mating bond while their mate is still human, but I have witnessed  
it many times in my years on this earth and I know from the depths of my soul that we are meant to be together," he said.

"So if I were to become one of you, I would feel as deeply as you do?" she asked, her voice breathy as the butterflies in her stomach stirred into a swarm. "Not to say I _don't_ feel anything for you," she added, feeling her face go up in flames  
once again. "I feel very attracted to you, to be honest, and it's confused me because I never thought a person could really like someone as much as I like you after just meeting them," she remarked lamely. She looked away from his intense gaze for  
a second, hoping in the darkness he could not see her red face. Somehow she thought that if his eyesight was so great that he could fly through the forest without hitting anything, she was out of luck in hoping for _that_.

"I think that even as a human you feel the pull a bit, although yes, it would become much stronger if you were to become like me," he replied, turning her face to have her look back into his eyes. "Just know that I will not bite you without your permission.  
You would only be turned if it is truly your wish, as your father said, Bella. I will never do anything to hurt you if I can help it," he said, leaning forward and resting his forehead against hers for a second. "You are my world now," he said quietly.

They both sat there for a few moments in this embrace, their foreheads together and their eyes closed, just enjoying the intimacy of the moment. Being together. "This is so unreal," Bella whispered. "If I wake up and it's all a dream I will be so pissed,"  
she added, smiling when he chuckled. She looked up at him and they stared at each other for a moment before he leaned in and kissed her, pulling her into his arms even tighter.

After pulling away to let her breath,he said, "Yes this is a dream, but one that has come true, my Bella."

Bella smiled but her eyes betrayed the question that was bursting to come out of her. "You said you wouldn't bite me. Is that how it's done, how one becomes a vampire?" she asked.

Carlisle nodded. "That is just a part of it," he began. "The myths you've heard are not nearly the truth of what we are. We can walk in sunlight, though we choose not to because it would reveal who we are. Our skin sparkles like diamonds in the sun's  
light; which is why we choose to live in a place that is so cloudy and rainy," he explained. "We never sleep, ever. So no coffins." He chuckled when she giggled at the idea, then grew serious once more. "We do feed off of blood. My family and another  
like ours that lives up in Alaska are thought of as very strange among our kind for sustaining ourselves on animal blood alone. We have chosen not to kill humans, not to be the monsters we are capable of becoming. We chose instead to live among humans,  
and we are happier for it. But this is something we have all worked extremely hard to achieve, Bella. I alone in my family have never killed a human. When we are first changed, especially for the first year, the bloodlust is so strong that it's nigh  
impossible to resist human blood. We are like sharks in that way—when we smell fresh human blood it sends us into a frenzy if we don't have control over ourselves," he explained.

"Wow, so I'm in even more danger than I thought," she said, her face showing a look of mock horror. "You haven't even seen my medical files yet; I am the clumsiest person ever and have been hurt and bleeding so many times its not even funny!" she said,  
raising her hands to her cheeks, clearly exaggerating her "fear".

Carlisle laughed. "My sweet Bella, as long as you are with me you are safe. I am a surgeon and the scent of blood does not affect me in such a way that I would pose a danger to you, even if you were not my mate," he said, cupping her cheek in his hand.  
"But as my mate I should warn you that I will tend to be very protective of you, even without realizing it at times. I hope this will not bother you; it is a fact I felt you should know," he said.

"I think I would be protective of you, too, even though it would be of no help in the state I'm in," she replied, smiling lightly. "But back to the biting—you said there was more to it than just biting me?"

"We vampires have what we know as venom in us. We don't bleed, ever, because our bodies absorb all the blood for our nourishment. But we do produce venom. If...or when...I change you, I will bite, and on instinct I will push as much venom into you as  
possible, into your bloodstream. The more venom that's inflicted, the less time it will take for the change to complete itself," he said. He dropped his gaze and looked at their twined hands in her lap. "You need to know, you need to prepare yourself  
for this. When venom enters a human body it starts attacking human cells immediately, transforming them into vampire cells. The average change lasts for three days and it is...extremely painful. We've all described it as feeling like being on fire.  
That is why if and when I change you, I will push as much venom as possible, so you won't have to experience the burn any longer than necessary. But when it is over you will no longer feel pain, and you will be nearly immortal," he said, looking at  
her as she absorbed yet another facet of the life that awaited her.

She was quiet while she thought about it. Yes, she was a clumsy person, having hurt herself frequently in one way or another since she was a little girl. She was not a stranger to pain, but what he described seemed daunting. She'd burned her hand once  
when she was teaching herself to cook mac and cheese. The doctors had said she was lucky they were able to use skin grafts to fix the palm of her left hand, and even luckier that as deep and horrible as that burn had been, she had retained some nerves  
and could still feel with that hand. But the pain from that burn was one of the few incidents she had never forgotten. _Can I do this? Can I face this kind of pain for days with no relief until it is over and my humanity is gone for good?_ she  
thought. Then she looked up into his eyes. She knew she liked him. She felt the butterflies in her stomach swarm once again at the intense gaze he bestowed on her and knew that somehow, she would do this for him. For both of them. "Okay," she said,  
her decision made. "I don't look forward to pain, never have. But it won't last forever, just a few days, and then we can be together," she said, her words quiet but firm.

Carlisle leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. When he leaned back he simply said, "Thank you, my Bella."

~{}~

"Do you think we should call them?" Charlie asked after nearly chugging his whole beer.

"I think they will be fine, Charlie. Knowing Carlisle, he is explaining all the details of what it would mean for her if she were changed. How it happens, what to expect. As much as he would want to, he will not sugar-coat the truth. He will tell her  
about the pain of the transformation and make sure she knows it all so she can make the informed decision we all know she is likely to make," Esme said, laying her cold hand atop his on the table. She alone sat with Charlie on the deck while Billy,  
Harry, Sam, and the others of her family all conversed down by the river, discussing the upcoming training of the wolves.

"I'm man enough to admit I'm scared for her, and for me," he said, his words a bit gruff though quiet. "I wonder if we can keep her here with us while Carlisle goes to meet Aro in Seattle, now that she knows," he pondered out loud.

"Charlie, if you had to go meet someone who was dangerous, would you leave her behind where you could not get to her quickly when you knew you could keep her safer if she was close?" Esme asked him.

"She will be safer the further she is from that Aro character, if you ask me. Why invite trouble by taking her with him to Seattle?" he asked her.

"Charlie, we have told you about Aro. Besides being a collector of talented vampires, he is himself talented. He is used to having power and abusing it as well. If he does not react well to what Carlisle tells him, Aro could act out against him just to  
prove how powerful he is. If Aro manages to touch Carlisle and see his every thought, everything that has happened to him, Bella will become a target. Aro would likely send some of his guard to grab her and use her as leverage. But if Bella is with  
Carlisle in the city and Aro sees she is guarded, he would not do that right in Carlisle's face. That is not his style. He is a strange vampire, Charlie. He is very capable of ruthless things, but Carlisle is a longtime friend regardless. Aro would  
never do anything right in his face and risk alienating all of his 'friends'. Yes, the Volturi rule through fear, but they also try to maintain respect as well," she explained.

"None of that makes any sense," Charlie exclaimed, looking at her fiercely. "You say they are old friends and he wouldn't disrespect Carlisle to his face, but he would take advantage if Bella was not by Carlisle's side or close by?" he all but growled  
at her.

"Charlie, if Carlisle were to leave her behind and Aro saw their connection through his touch, that would be like inviting him to come and take Bella. Like Carlisle was not protecting her as he would be expected to do for a mate. But with Bella there  
it will be clear to Aro that she is precious to Carlisle and Aro would not dare overstep," Esme explained, hoping Charlie would understand.

"So keeping her close shows how much he cares for her," Charlie said, understanding at last.

"Yes," Esme replied.

Charlie was silent as he contemplated those words. "I still would rather I went to Seattle as well," he said.

"I know you would, but Edward and I will be watching over her while Carlisle meets with Aro. We will keep her safe and we will keep you informed of everything as it happens. The moment Aro is on his jet back to Italy I will let you know," she promised  
him.

Charlie looked over at her amber eyes and for just a moment as he gazed into them, his anger bled away and in its place he felt a peace he hadn't felt in a long time. "Thank you, Esme," he said. He wanted to say more but he knew the others were in hearing  
distance by the river. He promised himself he would get her alone sometime soon.

~{}~

"So my father sounded as if he would follow me into that life, if I chose it," Bella said suddenly out of the blue. They had been sitting for who knows how long, just being there in the moment, with her situated in Carlisle's lap, in his arms, her head  
resting on his shoulder.

"When I realized what was going on, that I felt that pull towards you, I told Charlie immediately. Alice saw what was happening and called me with the excuse of an emergency at the hospital so I could talk to your father in private out front," Carlisle  
told her honestly. "He drove Esme home, and after he vented his frustration at the situation she let him know that he would not have to fear losing his daughter to eternity. She told him he would be welcome among our family and we would turn him as  
well if he chose it. So that he could stay with you," he explained.

Bella was quiet for a few moments, her eyebrows scrunching up a bit as something occurred to her. "Wait...I..." she began, scrambling up from his lap and striding a few feet away from him. "Alice told you all about this coming war years ago, before I  
started seeing my father in Forks. Knowing him, he could have kept me from ever getting involved. I know my father—if he had known about all this, he would have cut me out of his life to keep me safe," she said, sounding so sure and so serious. "But  
he didn't, he begged and convinced my mother to let me into his life, to let me visit. Alice had to have known, she had to have seen me here," she said, trying to get her thoughts straight. She turned around and eyed Carlisle seriously. "My moving  
here—even though it was my idea, there was no point to it, was there? Did she know you would be pulled to me as a mate? Did she know—did my father know—that my plans for school…all of it…was pointless?" she asked, starting to feel angry.

Carlisle stood up and walked towards her, but when she took a step back to keep him at bay he did not touch her. With sadness in his voice he answered her questions as honestly as he could, knowing that was the only way for them to have a chance of moving  
forward. "When we approached your father with the truth so he would know what was coming and could prepare himself for it, he was still in negotiations with your mother to have you come visit. Your father debated on that very fact of whether he should  
bring you closer or push you away for your own safety. The point is that before all of this, Alice saw the Quileutes wiped out if they were left on their own. They would be discovered one way or another if they were not forewarned and allied with  
us. She saw that if we came here and stood with them and recruited as many as we could to stand with us, it was our only chance. She said that if your father were to leave you alone in the world, him being allied with us would draw attention to you  
regardless and you could be taken for leverage. Your best bet for survival would be with your father—with us," he said.

Before she could interrupt, he went on. "As far as our connection, I'm almost positive she saw that I would feel the pull, that I would find my mate in you." He walked forward and raised his hands slowly, sweeping her hair back away from her face and  
cradling it carefully in his hands. "She never once told me what would happen. Edward may have known because he can read minds, but she never let it slip to me," he said, eyeing her carefully to make sure she could see his sincerity. "As for your  
own plans for your life, you're right—if you choose to be changed it will not matter for now. But you need to remember that if you choose life with me, after the conflict is behind us you can pursue any future you desire, once your thirst for blood  
is under control. I've been to school many times, have dozens of degrees, and I have chosen to be a doctor. He said,lifting her chin so she would look up at him. "Nothing you have planned for your life, nothing you have done, is pointless. Everything  
you have done has brought you here to this moment, with me, my Bella." He lowered his forehead to hers.

"Bella, I am sorry that all of this is upsetting your plans. But I promise that this is not the end, but the beginning," he implored, finally pressing his lips to hers softly, allowing her to pull away if she wished.

Bella did pull away and looked into his eyes. "Plans change, I get it. I can promise you that when all this...craziness is over and you have helped me gain control of my bloodlust, I will want to pursue my education, and possibly a career," she said,  
taking a deep breath. "I know I just met you and I don't feel this pull as you do, but I believe I feel enough to know that I won't do any of this without you. As crazy as this all is, I feel it. I feel that you are my future," she said, smiling up  
at him.

"Oh,Bella. My Bella," he said, and he pulled her into his arms and held her closely, kissing her lips and smiling in return. "You have made me a happy man indeed with such words," he said, and he kissed her again.

 **Author's Note:** _ **So... yeah this is so not happening as I had 'sort of' planned lol. But If I know the plot bunnies as I do, things will still continue to get interesting one way or another lol. I hope you enjoyed this... so much more to come. Please read and Review!**_


	13. Chapter 13

**AChapter 13: Change Of Plans**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyer's. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

Charlie sighed when he saw movement on the path to the river and saw the others returning, still chatting animatedly about ways to train the wolves. "Charlie, Carlisle and Bella will be back in just a few minutes. They are walking and we heard them across  
the river. Won't be long and then we can continue," Jasper said as he walked hand in hand with his pixie-like wife up the stairs to the deck.

"Can you sense her mood? Is she doing okay?" Charlie asked, looking at the curly blond-haired vamp with interest.

"They seem to be in a good mood, sir," Jasper replied honestly. "She isn't upset and seems quite content if not very curious," he added.

"Charlie," Esme said, getting his attention. "Now that she is aware of everything, we need to keep her in the loop—I hope you agree. The closer together we act as a group, the safer we will be in the end," she said.

Charlie huffed, but nodded. "Don't worry, Esme. I have no plans to keep Bella out of it or sheltered now that she knows. It's done and I just want her safe, not ignorant of the dangers," he replied evenly.

Not many minutes later he heard Bella laugh as she and Carlisle came into view and started up the path from the river. Charlie eyed the pair as he watched them approach, approving that all Carlisle was doing was holding her hand, though in his gut he  
imagined that was not all they had done out in the woods. He cleared his throat and greeted them, trying to clear such disturbing thoughts from his head. "'Bout time you two reappeared. Now that you're here, we need to finalize a few things before  
the trip to Seattle," he stated.

"I agree, but why don't you start with whatever concerns you the most, Charlie?" Carlisle said. He led Bella up the stairs to a seat next to her dad, and next to the seat Carlisle reclaimed at the head of the table.

"About Bella's living arrangements and her job at the hospital," Charlie began, bringing Bella's attention to the forefront. Her brows did that scrunching thing as she wondered where he was going with this. "As to her job, I want us to discuss whether  
there is any point in having her work in town, traveling on her own between work and home. It would look too...suspicious and cause too much talk if you drove her to and from work, Carlisle, not to mention that your job is unpredictable and your hours  
change depending on emergencies."

"Why would I need to quit?" Bella asked, getting a bit huffy. "I know the original purpose of me making money to go to college is a moot point for now, but wouldn't it be suspicious if I quit after a week? What would you want me to do—move back to Arizona  
or Florida with Mom as far as the townspeople know, and stay holed up in the house?"

"Actually, as far as her job and mine, I think most will agree that if it all appears to be business as usual, it will be better. I told you that Aro and the others are likely to spy on the people in this town, looking for my weaknesses. We all know that  
it will be a moot point if Aro manages to get hold of me to see everything, but if he keeps his hands to himself then all he will have is whatever his spies can find out for him. We should only change the status quo on all our 'human' jobs if he reads  
my mind," Carlisle said, and many of the people at the table nodded in agreement.

"Fine, I understand the need for appearances to stay the same for now. But as for living arrangements, as much as I hate to say it, I don't like the idea of you remaining with me at the house, Bella," Charlie said, looking at his daughter. Before she  
or anyone could speak a word in question he went on. "Besides figuring out a way to keep you safe during your commute to work, I would like to ask if the Cullens will allow you to stay here. Personally, with everything going on I would probably do  
the same myself because in that small house on our own, it's almost like we are sitting ducks when the shit hits the fan. We all know trouble is coming, and if any of the bad guys happen to find a way past Alice's vision I don't want Bella on her  
own if we can help it. Nothing against you, Bells, please don't take offense. I just want you safe," he said, looking at his clasped hands.

"Not speaking for anyone else, but I would be happy to have her stay with us," Esme said, smiling at Bella who sat there looking stunned.

Carlisle too was stunned at this turn of conversation. Happy at the idea, thrilled, but stunned nonetheless

Bella looked at her dad and then at Carlisle, who looked calm except for the spark of hope and joy she could see in his eyes. She looked back at her dad and said, "If they will have me, I will live here, if that will ease your mind. Just please don't  
treat me like a kid who needs to be looked after. I understand that I am not a member of law enforcement, or immortal yet, so that makes me an easy target. But surely we can figure out a way to do this so I don't feel like I'm being babysat. I like  
the truck you got me, Dad, and I enjoy driving it," she stated.

"Rosie and I can lowjack her car and phone," Emmett suggested. All eyes were suddenly on him. "We still have all the tech gear and it wouldn't take but a few minutes. Also we can plant a few panic buttons so that we are alerted if she can't call us."

Carlisle looked at Bella, but as Charlie was still her father he didn't say anything, though he wanted to know her feelings on this.

Charlie also looked from the big huggable Emmett to his daughter. "Well, Bella, could you live with those precautions? Just to ease your old man's mind?" he asked.

Bella frowned, but nodded. "Install the stuff and I'll use it, if it makes you all more comfortable, so I can have a modicum of freedom," she replied.

"Right. Well, now that that is settled, you guys should discuss your trip to the city. Bella, if you don't mind I will take Esme back to the house to gather your things for you," Charlie offered. He would rather not linger on the details of her going  
to Seattle where a very dangerous vampire was going to be waiting to meet with Carlisle.

"That sounds fine, Dad. If you miss anything I can always stop by—after letting you know, of course—after work later this week when we return," she replied.

"Right. Well, Charlie, let's go get her things," Esme said, and she jumped up quickly and headed for the door. Everyone else threw themselves into the conversation about the details of the trip to Seattle, so no one save Alice and Edward noticed the pleased  
smirk on Charlie's face as he followed Esme into the house.

~{}~

Bella was quiet as she listened to mainly Carlisle, Edward, and Alice discussing the plans for their visit to Seattle. Alice was quiet now and then, freezing in her seat, her eyes seeming to focus on nothing, as she checked the outcomes of various decisions  
until she was satisfied that they had a plan that would lead to their success in the safest way possible. As the hour grew late, Bella rested her head on her arms. The next thing she knew she was being laid carefully on something soft, and now-familiar  
arms were wrapping themselves around her.

~{}~

Carlisle was frustrated with himself when he realized that Bella had fallen asleep at the table. He stood up when he noticed her soft, even breathing and carefully gathered her into his arms. "It's late and I'm sure Sam would like to get some sleep before  
Billy and Harry meet with the pack and the other elders in the morning to put their end of the plan together," he commented, halting their discussions as he carefully pulled Bella's chair back enough to lift her from it easily without jostling her  
awake.

"So Charlie is okay with you two shacking up already? How does it feel to have the old man's approval, huh?" Emmett asked, almost snickering until Edward slapped him upside his head. "Ow! Hey, I was just kidding," he complained.

"Emmett, do grow up. You are nearly a century old," Edward quipped as he offered to escort the tribal members to their truck.

Emmett looked up at Carlisle, who was carefully holding Bella as he made his way around the table. "Please explain the new arrangements with Rosalie, Emmett. I know she is not happy with the changes, with Bella and Charlie entering our lives, but she  
needs to temper herself now that Bella is going to be with us from now on," he cautioned. "I love Rosalie very much, but I will not tolerate her attitude towards Bella. I want Bella to feel at home here. If Rosalie cannot temper her attitude I will  
be forced to either take Bella with me to one of the cabins or ask you both to go yourselves," he said, his voice laced with sadness at the thought,but firm nonetheless.

Emmett frowned. "I'll talk to her, Carlisle. This was your home first and we owe so much to you. If she can't get herself together I will take her myself to one of the cabins," he loved living together as a family.

"I will see you in the morning. I'm going to get her tucked in for the night," Carlisle said, gazing wistfully at the brunette in his arms.

"Hey, Carlisle, have Esme or Charlie texted you at all? They were suppose to come back with Bella's things a few hours ago," Emmett asked, smirking as he looked at Carlisle.

Carlisle huffed in exasperation as he walked away, not even bothering to reply to Emmett's suggestive question. Besides, who was he to care if Esme wasn't back yet? While she enjoyed some time getting to know Charlie, who she very much liked, it allowed  
Carlisle to not have to pretend that Bella would be sleeping anywhere except his bed.

~{}~

"Are you okay, Charlie?" Esme asked as she started to fill another box with Bella's clothes from her dresser now that the two medium boxes from her closet were done.

He was quiet for a few moments before he answered, busying himself taping up a box of Bella's books. "No, not really," he replied honestly, sounding a bit tired and defeated. His next words, though, were a bit more fierce. "Actually, I'm pissed off, if  
I am being even more honest," he added. He pushed the box away and walked over to sink into Bella's rocking chair that had been in her room since she was born. "I'm losing her...no, I've lost her," he said.

"Charlie," Esme started, but he cut her off.

"No, don't bother," he said. He didn't exactly sound mean—again, just honest. "I knew the war with those bastards was coming. I knew getting Bella here was the plan and that she would likely be drawn into all of...this," he said, gesturing heavily. Esme  
sat down on Bella's bed facing him, allowing him to vent his frustrations at her. "Even knowing all that, I had the vain hope that after getting her here and setting her up with a job, supporting her hopes for a normal future, that we could keep her  
safe and I could spend time with her, get to know my daughter. I've already missed out on most of her life and now, when I finally get her back, I'm going to lose her again," he exclaimed. "Add to that the whole mating thing with Carlisle, the knowledge  
that she will more than likely be changed into a vampire, and everything I knew before you all walked into my life is just not real anymore. I feel as if I've been living in a different world, which," he said, laughing a bit madly, "I have. Her being  
mated to Carlisle—in my world that's the same as her running off to get married and I'm just—" He stood up and stalked over to the window that overlooked the driveway. He didn't say anything else, just raised his hands to lean against the window frame  
and tried to take a few breaths to calm himself down.

Esme stood up and carefully walked towards him. When she reached him she laid her hand softly on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Charlie, I understand. I do," she said quietly. "Did I ever tell you about my time as a human before Carlisle found  
me and turned me?" she asked him quietly. Charlie shook his head. Without removing her hand, she quietly told him about her marriage to the horrible man who beat her. How she'd only hung onto life, despite the horrible situation she was in, when she  
found out she was pregnant. How her baby had become her reason to live and how her son, her little boy, had been taken from this world shortly after he was born. "Charlie, I was not a strong woman back then. When he...died, whatever I felt I had left  
in me died with him. So I hiked out to that cliff and jumped. I should have died, really," she said, looking past him and out the window into the night as he turned to look at her. "I was found by some men floating in the water and they brought my  
body to the morgue. I was pronounced dead, yet Carlisle heard my heart beating and he took me from the morgue and brought me to his home. I remember waking up from the change and seeing his face, his sad face. You see, he had seen me several times  
in the previous years, with injuries that were obviously from my husband, who beat me, broke me. He knew about my baby dying, yet he saw something in me that he said caused him to ignore my obvious wish for death.

"I hated Carlisle for a long time because not only did he keep me from dying that night, he turned me into something that is very hard to kill. I knew that I would likely never get to heaven to be with my baby," she whispered. After a few moments silence,  
she looked away from the window and into Charlie's eyes. "But Carlisle was right to save me. It's true that this life is not what most of us would have chosen. It's hard, and being aware of just how dangerous we are, the temptation to hate ourselves  
is a very easy trap we tend to find ourselves in now and again. But I'm alive now, I have purpose. I may not be able to do as much as I would wish, but I am not a victim any more. Because of what we are and the wealth we have, I help women escape  
what I could not. I have to do it all quietly and anonymously, but now and then I watch from a distance as women are given their lives back and it gives me such joy to know that there is just one less person suffering the fate that had me ready to  
give up."

She continued to stare at him very boldly. "Your life is now what you never knew was possible. Yes, things have changed and will continue to change, and we will all be facing a war that none of us want to see. But that is all done, Charlie. You will change  
with your daughter, yes?" Esme asked him.

"Yes. If she changes, I will follow her. It may not be the life I had imagined but it will be a life with my daughter who I love. Very much," he proclaimed. Esme could hear the emotions in his words that his pride would not let him show.

"Then if I may be so bold, please don't think that all you have to look forward to is an eternity with your daughter, Charlie," she said, leaning up and shocking him when she placed her lips on his. Their kiss was gentle, lips hardly moving, yet their  
connection was something neither Charlie nor Esme had ever felt before. When she pulled away from him, just a few inches away, they looked deeply into each other's eyes and she smiled. "I know you are not fond of the idea of mates, Charlie, as this  
is the reason that you feel like you are losing your daughter. But please keep in mind, while you adjust to everything happening, that your wonderful daughter is not the only person for whom this is possible. I have felt it, with you."

Charlie's eyes widened as he looked at this woman, this beautiful vampire he had noticed all those years ago when he was a young deputy. He thought of the brief moments they had had together. The idea that he could find love again was not something he  
had ever considered, having thought himself to be in love with Renee for most of his life. But as he looked into Esme's amber eyes all the frustration he felt about the insane changes in his life seemed to melt away for a moment. He felt that spark  
that a part of him had tried to ignore whenever he was near Esme, so that he had only spoken a few words to her. His lips suddenly formed a grim line, like they did when he had made some decision, yet his eyes now sparkled a bit with the giddiness  
he was suddenly feeling. "Well...well, all right then," he said with a slight nod, and he pulled her forward for another, much deeper kiss, causing her to giggle.

 **Author's Note:** _ **So... yeah finally I got to fit some Charlie and Esme in... I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Like always, the plot bunnies have shocked me as well as you... also I think the lack of sleep and NaNoWriMo madness has made them especially jumpy lol. Please read and review!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Good Morning...**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings**_ _ **: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyers. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

Carlisle looked up from his book where he sat next to the floor to ceiling windows in his room, the curtains pulled open to allow the misty morning light to filter softly into the room. Bella sighed as she moved slightly and he smiled as he listened to her heartbeat pick up a little, letting him know she was no longer asleep but was starting to wake up. He waited patiently where he sat even though he would rather be there, with her wrapped in his arms, when she first opened her eyes. But he contented himself with knowing that would happen soon enough; he didn't want to push things too far, too quickly. Finally Bella opened her eyes and sought out his observant gaze, smiling softly when she realized he was still there.

"Morning," she said sleepily.

"Good morning, sweet Bella," he replied. He set his book down and approached the bed, sitting on the edge near her and raising a hand to sweep it over her cheek gently.

Her smile widened and she put her hand over his, then suddenly sat bolt upright and looked towards the door. "So...umm...I know my dad is the one who suggested I move in with you and your family. But I doubt he had this in mind," she said, blushing. She moved to sit next to him and snuggled into his embrace when he put his arm around her. "Did he...did he see me sleeping in here when they came back last night?" she asked, finally looking around to see if any of her things were in sight.

Carlisle chuckled and pulled her chin up with his fingers, kissing her sweetly. "My Bella, your father has approved of what is happening between us. He also knows that I would never push you into anything you were not ready for, so I doubt he would have anything to say about you sleeping in here. He knew what he was suggesting when he brought up the idea of wanting you to live here for your safety and his peace of mind." Carlisle smiled at her. "Besides, your father and Esme never came back to the house last night. In fact, I'm quite sure—according to Emmett and the Lojack setup he did last night before they left, Esme's phone is still showing her at your dad's house," he added, chuckling when her eyes widened.

"Wow! Um, is this normal? I mean, do vampires casually date people they are...they like?" she asked him, wondering whether she should be worried for her dad since she knew he had always been hung up on her mom and never really dated. Bella considered the little bit she knew about Esme and frowned as she tried to imagine whether she would be a good fit for Charlie, but as with a lot of the Cullens she really didn't know much about Esme yet to be a good judge. Just that thought made her frown deepen as she briefly thought about how much she didn't know Carlisle.

"Bella, Esme has not said anything and no one else has, but I assume you have noticed she and your father are attracted to each other," he said, looking at her for confirmation that she had noticed.

"Yeah, um, I've seen a few looks between them," she admitted.

"Well, I have to say that she has not confirmed it with any of us, but I truly believe it's become a very small world because I think they are mates, Bella." He watched her, trying to gauge her reaction to this.

"Seriously? Like, what are the odds?" she exclaimed, watching his face to make sure he wasn't joking with her. He didn't answer her except to smile and press a kiss to her lips. "So this is all really happening. I guess I don't need to worry about him so much if he's found someone too. That actually gave me some reservations, thinking that he was changing to have forever with me but would still be lonely," she admitted.

"You should have seen them both when we had that first introduction years ago. Even then, after just meeting, they seemed to gravitate toward each other. When the mating pull is felt it is strong, but it can differ with the couple. When I first laid eyes on you, I was so close to grabbing you in my arms and running out of your house and back home, here to this room," he said. He teased her lips with soft kisses in between words and then pulled away, smirking when she gave him that dazed look of longing. "But Esme, I think, instinctively knew that Charlie would need a lot more time to adjust to the truth of our existence. I have never been able to prove it, but I think when this connection takes hold we instinctively know to do whatever, to _be_ whatever our mate needs, to not rush them. It's almost like some deep part of ourselves recognizes the limits and sticks to them for the sake of our mates' happiness."

"So what you're saying is that my dad was hot for Esme and vice versa right from the start, but she backed off and didn't do anything about her much stronger feelings because she knew that a man like my dad would need a lot more time to adjust to learning there are vampires and shapeshifters and whatnot, stuff his practical mind couldn't fathom easily?"

He laughed. "Yes, I think that was the case. But I suspect that now he is truly faced with the immensity of the coming changes, she has a need to let him know that there could be more to his life, if he allowed it, besides looking forward to never losing his daughter."

Bella was quiet for a few moments, then frowned. "I don't suppose they will choose to stay at Dad's house or in one of those cabins you guys have built on the property. I love my dad and I'm happy he has found someone, but I am his daughter and I don't want to see any of that…" she grumbled as she stood up and stretched.

Carlisle laughed but did not answer her. She went off to the bathroom to get ready for their day, leaving him with chuckling quietly behind her.

~{}~

"Edward, come hunt with me," Alice said, prancing down the stairs and tearing him away from his piano.

They exited the house and ran into the woods. Edward didn't go as fast as he was able to, being the fastest among his family. Not ten minutes into their run, as they started up a mountain, Edward veered sharply to the left and with a practiced grace he leapt to a large tree and snagged himself his favorite carnivore, a mountain lion. Alice took down the large elk that his lion had been about to pounce on.

Their thirst thoroughly satisfied, Edward buried his kill and then chose a fallen log and sat down. "Out with it, Alice," he said a bit grumpily.

"Oh, so you don't know? That's good that I've become so great at blocking you," she replied happily. She clambered onto the log and sat Indian-style facing him. "Edward, I know you are happy for Carlisle and Esme, but don't let the fact that you are now the last single one in our family get you down. I'm not going to tell you details but I promise you," she said, clasping his hand in hers, "you don't have long to wait either, okay?"

His sad smile turned upside down a little more with her words; he knew she would never lie to him. And as much as he wanted to ask her to tell him all she knew, he understood from their years together that it was best to let things happen as they should and not use such foreknowledge to speed things along. That never ended well. "Thank you, Alice," he said squeezing her hand lightly. "So about Seattle—anything Esme, Jasper, or I should know?" he asked, trying to distract himself from thoughts of his single status.

"Actually, yes. Emmett went on to Seattle with Rosalie this morning straight from their hunt. They are placing special motion sensors and such around the suite Carlisle asked us to book. I had a vision that indicated he and Bella might be better off with their own room. So to keep them safe while they are alone Emmett is doing his tech thing so you three can get a room far away on a lower floor and give Carlisle his privacy." She smirked.

"Wow, I know humans move fast and all these days, but really? So soon?" he asked, grimacing in reluctant understanding at the thought for several reasons.

Alice giggled and replied, "Not that it's any of our business but I don't see it going…that far, actually. But wouldn't you like to be able to make out with your girl—when you find her—without hearing a bunch of your family's remarks on your every move from the next room?" She quirked her brow, knowing how modest he was compared to some of his family.

He smirked and gave a chuckle. "Point taken," he replied. He was glad that Emmet would not be sticking around because years of experience reminded him how vocal Emmet could be about such situations, purely to amuse himself. "So you put us on the ground floor, right?"

~{}~

"You aren't cold, are you?" Esme asked as she snuggled up next to Charlie in his bed. He made a "hmmm" sound and held her tighter instead of actually answering. "We should probably get up sometime soon. It is morning and they will need Bella's clothes and such so she can pack for Seattle," Esme remarked a bit sadly.

"They are not leaving until tomorrow. The way Bella packs it will only take her a few minutes. So we are not leaving this bed yet," he said plainly, turning to kiss her. They made out like a couple of teenagers for a while before he pulled away to breathe and just look at her. "When should we do it? When should I be changed?" he asked, looking in her eyes, his voice a bit breathy from their kisses.

"That is something that needs to be discussed among the whole family. Obviously I would like you to be turned as soon as possible. But there are things to consider before we do that. For one, before you are turned you will have to have your human life settled. Make sure there is someone to take over your job; put out the word that you have decided to retire, maybe after coming into some money from some distant family member. We have to make sure the humans do not question that you are up and leaving. To be honest, setting up all that now would be the best way to handle things, but I'm not sure we can turn you yet anyway. We will have to rely on Alice and what she sees," Esme replied.

"You are worried about what could happen while I'm changing, while I'm defenseless for three or four days," he surmised.

"Yes, I am. During that time you could still be killed, and what if some attack happens while you are in that state? Also the control issues will be a problem for likely the first year after you wake up. The way we have always handled a new member in the family is to go away to one of our many houses we have out in the middle of nowhere, with hundreds if not thousands of miles of wilderness around and no humans to tempt you. To help you start to adjust to the scent of human blood, we slowly bring items we snatch from town—pieces of clothing and such that humans have worn—so you can start to work on your control. It's a struggle and hard for the first few years, usually," she admitted.

"So either way, Bella and I would be vulnerable. But I thought as newborns we would be very strong. Wouldn't that help in a fight if it comes to that?" Charlie asked.

"Yes and no. To have you not so fragile would help, but when you are a newborn your new instincts can overpower you very easily. Tempers flare, and they could use that to weaken you. Say we are fighting—all they would have to do is bring a few drops of human blood into the fray and you would probably lose your mind trying to get to it. You'd drop whatever you were doing and open yourself and others up to attacks because your sole focus would be the blood," she explained.

Charlie lay there quietly, his arm around this woman, a vampire he had never imagined as a part of his life until quite recently, and mulled over her words, dissecting them, accepting them. "All right. As much as I would prefer to stay here all day, we need to get up and call a meeting. We need to make some more plans and get them set in stone so we have contingencies for everything that everyone agrees to." He kissed her forehead, then got out of his bed and started getting dressed.

~{}~

"Bella! Hurry up and come down for breakfast. Charlie will be here any minute!" Alice exclaimed as she burst into Carlisle's room after knocking and hearing from Carlisle that it was safe to come in. "Esme called as they left Charlie's house with your things. Edward and Jasper are putting together a buffet for all of you humans—Charlie wants a meeting again so Billy, Harry, and Sam are on their way back this morning. They said they have time before they meet with their council at noon." She was nearly bouncing in place as she watched Bella pull on her sneakers.

"Another meeting? Don't tell me he proposed or something and that's why they didn't come back here last night," Bella asked, looking pleadingly at Alice.

"You don't want your father and Esme to be together?" Alice asked, frowning. Carlisle was trying to hold back a laugh. He knew Alice was messing with Bella by not answering her question and posing one of her own to strengthen Bella's sudden fears.

"No—I mean, that will be fine, but...my dad has been alone for a long time. I don't want him to rush into anything any more than he wants me to rush into...marriage and whatnot," she said, her eyes focused on the shoes she was tying while a blush rode up her cheeks.

Alice giggled. "Don't worry, Bella, no one has proposed. Yet," she added, winking at Bella and giving Carlisle a large smile before sweeping from the room.

"Since your father is on his way over, I wanted to ask before he got here: are you okay with moving into my bedroom?" Carlisle asked. "Will that bother you, or him? I know he is aware that this was likely but I would not like to upset him, regardless. I mean, I don't sleep, so it just makes sense really. Besides, between you and me, I would very much like to keep you to myself as much as possible." He smiled as he observed the blush that crept further down her face and neck.

"Well, it's not like you guys have a guest room. Besides, my dad wanted me to move in and you're right, you don't sleep so I might as well make use of your bed," she quipped.

Carlisle groaned and tried hard to distract his mind from the thoughts that one sentence provoked. He leaned forward and kissed her firmly but quickly on the lips and then walked away. "I'll run ahead and help them with breakfast," he said, needing to escape before he could act on his sudden urge to do dirty things to his Bella.

~{}~

Not thirty minutes later, after Jasper, Edward, Carlisle, and Emmett had taken all of Bella's boxed-up things up to her new room with Carlisle—all done in under two minutes at vampire speed—they all sat around the dining table out on the deck again. The vampires were grouped at one end, upwind from the large amounts of food the humans were dishing up and consuming.

Charlie swallowed a bit of bacon and began. "So I was talking about the future, about being changed into a vampire, with Esme—what it means for Bells and me, the timing and whatnot. She brought up a lot of good points and I think we should bring it out in the open right now, make some solid plans and contingencies for 'what-if' scenarios," he stated.

"So you want to plan the hows and whens for Bella and yourself to become vampires?" Carlisle asked, looking from Bella's slightly shocked face to that of her dad, who looked surprisingly okay with it.

"Yes, but like I said, we need contingencies in place for what our reactions to un-planned situations would be. Like if one of us gets bitten in an attack, or if we get seriously injured. We need to have plans in place so there is no panicking and everyone is protected if the worst happens," Charlie said.

Bella had to smile. He might be willing to give up the actual job of chief of police, where he was used to keeping everyone safe and things orderly, but that job would always be a part of him. She also smiled at knowing that that would be a great asset to a family of veggie vamps who tended to attract a lot of trouble. "I knew you had been told that you could change too, if and when I do. But I didn't know you had made up your mind that it was definitely going to happen," she commented. She looked at her dad and then at Esme, who smiled. Bella figured if vampires could blush, Esme would be.

"Bells, you might have noticed that I've...umm...had a bit of an attraction to Esme here," Charlie said awkwardly. "I know I've not always done so well with changes, or with things that didn't fit into my ideal of normal. But that all started to change years ago when they let me into this whole other side of our world. I've been alone as well, for a long time, but even though that is changing, I know that it is for the better. Despite all the trouble heading our way, I can't let myself fear that or be upset by it because its led me to Esme and knowing that I won't be leaving you behind only makes it easier to, well, go with it all," he said as he shifted awkwardly in his seat.

Congratulations flowed around the table, causing Charlie to grunt a few mild "thanks". Billy even shocked Charlie by saying how happy he was that his old friend had found someone after all the years he had been alone. "So, yeah. Plans—we need to make them today, before you go to Seattle," Charlie stated adamantly, looking at Carlisle again.

Carlisle turned to Bella and grasped her hand to get her attention. "No one is to be rushed, but do you have an idea of how long you would like to wait, to prepare yourself, before you are turned?" he asked her.

She looked down at their joined hands and briefly looked up at her father, who was watching her closely as well. Everyone at the table was quiet as she mulled it over, choosing her words carefully. "To be honest, I would not want to do that so soon, if it can be helped. With everything going on I understand that it would ease a few minds if my dad and I were less fragile, but honestly we could be killed either way, so I don't want the threat of death to force the issue now. Besides, Dad and I need time to set things in motion so we don't cause a stir, right?" she asked, getting nods from everyone. "If it were up to me and nothing interfered, I would like to wait a year. Have time to say goodbye to my mother, mainly, and to prepare myself. Not that I'm going to shrink away from it because of the pain I can expect. As it is now, the smell of blood makes me sick. So wrapping my mind around everything involved, I want to be settled and content with changing," she explained. She felt a bit out of her depth, like she wasn't explaining herself well.

"Well, ideally, if we can wait, we will wait. In the mean time I think we need to pick the locations where we want to spend their first year, after the conflict is over, while they adjust as newborns," Carlisle said.

"That's easy enough. Rosie and I can head up to two of our houses up in Canada, get them up to snuff and supplied before the nomads and others start arriving soon," Emmett offered.

"How does a year in the wilds of Canada sound, Bella?" Carlisle asked, still holding her hand and giving it a little squeeze.

"How wild are we talking? Will we have access to internet or anything?" she asked, smiling. "Because besides learning to hunt large animals and drink blood, I don't want to be bored. I am a city girl for the most part," she reminded him.

Before Carlisle could say a word, Emmett laughed and said, "Who said you would be bored? You'll be super temperamental and you will be closeted away from the world with your mate, Bella—there is no way you will be bored. I'm more worried about having to visit long enough to repair damages to the house; Rosie and I have the standing record for demolishing things while getting busy. But it's not as much fun having to rebuild for others, when they are still in the throws of sudden acts to full fill" he added, laughing even as Jasper smacked him upside the head.

"Emmett, really!" Esme exclaimed.

"Getting back to the subject at hand, let's figure out what we want to do in case of emergencies, if they need to be turned before we're ready," Carlisle said. He gave Emmett a stern look that said "Knock it off!" as he changed the subject to get them back on track, much to most everyone's relief.

 **Author's Note:** _ **Well now... don't we all just love Emmett and his big mouth? He does love to tease people lol. I hope you enjoyed this chapter... please read and review! *HUGS***_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Making plans**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings**_ _ **: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyers. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

"So it's settled. If the unforeseeable happens and they are to be changed at a moment's notice, they will have to stay here with us, only leaving to hunt with an escort at least two-strong. Preferably either Edward or Jasper as one and their mate as the other, seeing as Edward can hear people's thoughts even if the person or creature cannot be sensed or smelled, and Jasper can sense their emotions," Billy said, nodding as the others all nodded in turn.

"Also, I think we should agree who is best to change them, and next best and so on," Carlisle added. "I know that I can do this but I would hate for circumstances to test someone's control when they are not prepared to do what is needed. It is a hard thing to resist, to bite and let the venom flow instead of consuming," he added, sounding regretful at having to be so honest, but knowing it was for the best.

"Well, I can say that unless no one else is available, I won't risk it. I want to believe I could do this for someone I care about. But I ran Emmett hundreds of miles because I didn't trust myself, and even though my control is much stronger now, seeing how we live with humans so openly I don't want to test my limits on someone you two care so much about," Rosalie said, getting up from the table and walking into the house.

Emmet frowned and stood to follow, pausing at the door. "If the situation calls for it, I'll do what I can. But like my Rosie, I'm not volunteering unless it's truly life or death," he added before slipping away to follow Rosalie.

"Obviously, I'm not going to romanticize the idea of it being my bite that turns you, Charlie. As sweet as the idea is, I would rather play it safe. So ideally, if you and Carlisle agree, I would want Carlisle to be the one to start your change," Esme said, clasping Charlie's hand in hers.

"Well, obviously I would rather Carlisle do the job, seeing as he has successfully changed most of you. But would he have to bite my neck? I hate to sound squiffy about it, but that would honestly make me a tad uncomfortable," Charlie admitted, causing everyone to chuckle.

"Actually, it's possible that I may not have to bite your or Bella's necks," Carlisle stated. "Though my years with the Volturi were not some of my prouder moments, I can say that because of their curiosity we may be able to forgo biting you both. In recent years after all I've learned, I found that more than one bite can possible speed up the process; specifically, if I bit most of the major veins, the venom would spread and reach the heart much faster. Rosalie and Esme were both changed that way, but the unfortunate side effect is the scars which I left behind. Though they have both admitted to being fine with the scars since it lessened the change time.

"But if we each collect our venom in specially made syringes I've ordered, and keep a set of them in a protected case everywhere we go with either Bella or Charlie, I think after the first initial bite we can use the syringes to get the stored venom pumping into their systems at all the key veins that lead straight to the heart. If we are not put in a do or die situation, I've wondered if either of you would be willing to test not even being bitten but just using the syringes, with biting as a backup only," Carlisle said, looking at both of them. Nearly everyone at the table burst out with their reactions and opinions.

"You think this will change them faster, without scars?" Esme asked.

"No way in hell are you using me or my daughter to experiment!" Charlie said with a growl.

"Do you think it would work better than biting? Will it affect the level of pain in any way?" Bella asked, sounding slightly hopeful.

"Your studies have shown that in a human's system and outside of the body, the molecular structure of our venom is the same, so I don't see why this wouldn't be feasible," Edward commented, sounding fascinated by the idea.

"It will work!" Alice exclaimed, smiling as she jumped up, causing her seat to fall back.

Everyone shut up and turned to Alice as she continued to bounce in place, looking over their heads at something only she could see. Edward, though, started to smile as he too caught on to whatever it was she was seeing. "Carlisle does this with Bella! I mean, he does bite her, umm, once," she said, quickly going on and trying to keep anyone from questioning her momentary hesitation further even as Edward snorted and clapped his hands over his face in horror at the same time. "As a safety precaution, but he barely latches on before he uses the syringes at all her key veins—neck, wrists, one directly pushed into her heart!" she said, smiling. "Bella burns for only two and a half days!"

"If this is something you learned from those Volturi all those years ago, why haven't you tried it before now?" Charlie asked, frowning at Carlisle.

"Though I studied a lot of their research, my knowledge of the makeup of our venom was not all that long ago. It was actually back in the nineteen sixties that I began to put our venom under the microscope and study it at length. I have not changed anyone since Emmett joined our family nearly thirty years before that," he explained.

"So if it works the same as a bite would but faster, does that mean the pain would be more intense?" Bella asked.

Carlisle sighed. "From what I understand, the venom burns, as we like to say, because when it comes into contact with each cell in the body it doesn't kill that cell but perfects it in a way. It changes the cell almost instantly from what it was into its most healthy form at a very fast rate, before seeming to freeze it in that improved state forever. That is why I believe we feel like we are made of stone. Obviously we are colder because we no longer have blood pumping through our bodies. As for the pain, I don't think it will lessen. In fact, it is possible it may seem like it increases, but that is only because the change will be happening much faster. So you would experience the result of more cells being transformed at once, rather than the slow crawl that a bite or two causes," he explained.

"Do you know if anyone has ever been changed while they were unconscious? I mean, couldn't you pump us with pain meds beforehand to stop the pain?" Charlie asked.

"Well, I am not sure about that. Again, I would have to test that theory by injections of pain meds before the injection of the venom. But I'm not confident how well that would work. When someone is unconscious they do not feel anything, so in a way, if a person was pumped full of morphine or something similar, I'm not sure what effect that would have on the pain outcome during the transformation," Carlisle replied, folding his hands.

He continued, "When I found Rosalie, Esme, Emmett, and Edward, they were all out of it, nearly dead, yet as soon as they were bitten they reacted to the pain of the transformation. I've also heard of stories from other vampires through the years, some of them talking about how they were high on drugs when they were changed. They still remember every moment of the transformation, including the amount of pain," he added.

"Okay, enough about the pain, guys," Charlie said. "We all know that it hurts to change. I don't want to dwell on it. As for the syringes, I trust Alice's vision so I'm okay with us having those prepared for use at a moment's notice. Now, the day is getting away from us and some of you have to leave for Seattle, so maybe you should work on those syringes while I take a little time to discuss a few things with Bella before you all leave," he said, standing and motioning for her to follow him towards the river.

Carlisle smiled at Bella and squeezed her hand briefly before he watched her walk away with her dad. When they were far enough away that they could no longer hear the group left at the table, he turned to address those who were left. "I have packs of six syringes up in my office. I've shown you guys before how to collect venom, so all you have to do is use the syringes to collect the venom from the cups or bowls you use. Make sure you close the case they are in and keep them with you at all times. Alice, " he said, turning to her where she sat next to Jasper. "Any changes on how our meeting will go?"

She frowned. "No change, no definite outcome. Too many people who haven't made up their minds, or keep changing their minds. I don't see anyone dying or getting hurt, at least. But I do see a change of sorts. I see some vampires arriving briefly at the cliffs north of La Push, from the water, but then nothing. It goes fuzzy, meaning the wolves are there to greet them," she said, looking to Billy.

"I'll let Sam know to have the pack ready. How many vampires did you see?" he asked.

"Three."

~{}~

"What's up, Dad?" Bella asked when they stopped to sit on some large rocks at the bank **s** of the river.

"I just wanted to make sure you were really okay with, well, everything. I've lived a pretty good life, so if things went bad I would have no regrets. But it freaks your old man out, thinking how much you will be missing."

"Dad, I've never been the average girl. I don't want a husband, career, 2.5 kids and a dog in a cookie-cutter house. Honestly, I wouldn't mind the husband part, because as crazy as it is so soon after meeting him, I can't imagine a future without Carlisle. I'm sure you you feel the same about Esme. That's all I want. I wasn't meant for a simple life. I've always been older, somehow. Now it just makes sense why I am so different. I was meant for this life," Bella said, looking at the water and kicking her foot back and forth over the rocks.

Charlie sighed as he looked out over the water as well. "You're right, you have never been like all the other kids your age. Taking care of your mother the way you did, you've known more responsibility then most adults do who are my age," he said, sighing. After a few moments of just being there beside the water together, he cleared his throat and went on. "Things are happening fast, so we need to set up our stories fast," he said.

"Well, if you are going to retire, the town will be shocked enough; then add on that you're also leaving town—well, a lot of people will think something is up," Bella began. "Let's tell everyone we inherited some money from my mom's side. I bought you a cabin-type house on a lake not far from where I plan to go to college—West Virginia, the Carolinas or somewhere like that," she suggested.

"Well, if there is fishing involved it will be easier for the nosy townspeople to believe. I'll take a look at some maps. I want to make sure I know something about this new place I'm not going to live when they ask questions," he said, smiling lightly and tapping her knee as he got up to go back to the house. "I'll let you know what area sounds the best fishing for the story and what lucky college is near by," he added.

"Wow, Dad. Who knew that I would be so lucky to have my future education decided on by where the best fish are. I'm sooo lucky to have a dad who has my best interests in mind," she said, smirking.

"Bells, that's what I'm here for," he deadpanned, causing her to chuckle.

~{}~

Bella sighed as she settled back into the plush leather seat in Carlisle's Mercedes as he drove them away from Forks towards Seattle. Her eyes were closed the better to ignore the speed at which they were going, having already been told that it was for their safety that they break the law for the drive into the city.

Carlisle reached over and clasped her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Something on your mind?" he asked as he glanced at her, seeing her eyes closed. He knew she was not asleep just by the sound of her breathing.

"Not really," she replied after a moment's thought. "Just getting comfortable for the ride. I thought I might nap so I don't focus on your driving," she quipped.

"You will see, when you are one of us, how driving these speeds is no danger at all. Our vision, our senses, are so much more powerful than in our human states. So is our reaction time," he reminded her, as he'd first told her when they ran away from the house to discuss their bond days ago, trying to reassure her she was perfectly safe.

Her hand moved to lace her fingers with his as she turned to open her eyes and look at him. "Carlisle, I'm a bit—I want to—can the others hear us from the car in front of us?" she asked, looking at the silver blur that was Edward's Volvo in front of them.

"Guys, can you give us a bit of space? I'll call you in a few minutes when I want you to slow back down," Carlisle said. They watched as Edward waved his arm at them and sped off while Carlisle slowed down to a more respectable ninety miles per hour instead of the hundred and fifteen they had been going. "They can no longer hear us," Carlisle said.

Bella let out a breath and looked ahead at the road, feeling her cheeks turn red as she fought for the right words in her mind. "I'm a virgin," she suddenly blurted out, looking at him afterwards and then burying her face in her hands. "God, I so did not want to spit that out like that," she said, shaking her head. She lifted her face to look out the window as she felt the car slow until it pulled to a stop on the side of the road.

Carlisle put the car in park and turned towards her, holding out his hand and smiling softly at her. "Are you upset that you are still innocent? Afraid of what I would think or something, Bella? I assure you that hardly anything would bother me about your past. Your past is part of you, and I care for all of you," he said, hoping to reassure her.

"I'm not bothered so much about the fact of it. I'm just—I know we will be together in the future. I wanted to make sure that—find out if we should, um, wait. Until I'm changed," she said, blushing scarlet and still unable look at him.

"Bella, first of all, I would never rush you into anything. The speed at which this relationship goes is up to you and what makes you feel comfortable. Secondly, as my control is not an issue, we would not have to wait until you are changed unless you want us to. Again, no rushing, but I want you to understand that in no way will I hurt you," he said, giving her hand a squeeze.

She let out a nervous giggle and finally looked up to meet his gaze. "When we have some time, can we talk about this aspect of our future while we are away from most everyone, in Seattle? Will we have privacy for that?" she asked him.

"Absolutely. We will be on the top floor and the others will purposely be on the ground floor to give us space," he reassured her. She nodded and looked back towards the road. He called ahead to say they were about to catch up, then clasped her hand sweetly in his own and proceeded to run his thumb over her hand for the rest of the drive, hoping it would help calm her fears and nervousness.

~{}~

? POV

"They met again with what looks like the elders of the native tribe at the coast, before they split and four of them and one human made their way towards Seattle, Sire."

"Hmm. Very well, I want you to investigate this native tribe, watch and see if there are any further interactions between these Cullens and the natives. See what would possible ally them so closely that the Cullens interact with them so often. Pick two others to join you, then report back to me in the morning."

 **Author's Note: Yeah, I know the updates have been way long. RL is insane and work sucks. Got my mini ipad finally and this chapter is all due to writing in between customers at work with the aid of a Zagg keyboard lol. So I will work as much as I can while at work...**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Calling For A Favor**

 _ **Disclaimer & Story Warnings**_ _ **: The characters and the world of the TWILIGHT UNIVERSE belong to Stephenie Meyer's. The plot is mine. This story plot is rated MATURE. If you are not 18 years or older, this story is not for you. You have been warned!**_

The valet took Carlisle's keys, and Bella smiled up at Carlisle as he helped her out of the car. Edward, Jasper, and Alice all walked up and Alice handed Carlisle his key since they were already checked in. "The bags are being brought up and there are menus in the room for Bella to use while we are here so that none of us are exposed to any extra trouble for the duration of our stay. If you need anything just call us, though I might be ahead of you," Alice said, smiling cheekily. "Enjoy your penthouse suite!" she added, causing Bella to look at them and frown.

"Is a penthouse really necessary?" she grumbled as Carlisle led her away from the others and into the hotel, past the reception desk and into the elevator.

After they entered the elevator and the door closed, Carlisle pulled her into his arms and held her close. "Yes, it is necessary. While we are here, with the exception of my attending the meeting, for safety's sake we will not be leaving this room. More importantly, think of this as a mini vacation where we can truly get to know one another. We have three days here at least and I intend to take advantage of every second we are alone together." He raised his hand to her face and caressed it.

"Okay," she said, sounding a little dazed as she gazed at his enraptured expression.

"Okay," he said, chuckling. "So let's order you some food, and then maybe we can get comfortable and watch a movie or something? Whatever you want," he added, clasping her hand in his when the elevator opened to a room with a single door.

"I could use a few human moments. If we are going to stay holed up in the room the whole time, I think I will change into some PJs or something more comfortable," she replied. "Then I'll—" she started, only to lose her train of thought as Carlisle opened the door and ushered her into one of the most beautiful rooms she had ever seen. Before here was a round dining table that could easily seat ten people, set in front of a stonework wall with a fireplace that was already lit. Above and to the right of the fireplace a part of the wall was open to a sitting room that looked like it was half a floor up from the dining and living room, accessed by a small staircase in the left corner to which she now turned her gaze.

Beyond the sitting room she could see yet another opening that could be closed off by a set of French doors that stood open. In that room was a king-sized four-poster bed. "Wow, this is fancy," she commented a bit lamely as she took in all the opulence that was also quite homey looking. "At least there aren't any gilt picture frames and such," she quipped as she turned to the right to see another set of French doors leading out to what she assumed was a private balcony. "I'm just going to go change," she said, smiling slightly. She carefully made her way up the small stairway and further into the suite to see their luggage had been set on two padded benches in the bedroom.

Grabbing the clothes she wanted, she went into the bathroom and froze in the doorway for a moment, stunned by yet another beautiful space, before shaking herself to hop to and close the door. The bathroom was unlike any she had ever seen, with a fully tiled walk-in shower large enough for the whole family and shower heads from every angle on the walls and ceiling. A few stairs made of tile that matched the floors and walls led up to a large garden tub big enough for four next to the window. As she changed, she felt a blush come over her at the idea of sharing that tub or shower with Carlisle. Shaking her head to clear it of such thoughts, she promised herself that even if they had to come back to stay in this suite again in the future, she would make sure to enjoy that with Carlisle one day.

~{}~

Carlisle shifted on the loveseat as he tried not to let himself get all worked up. He knew this trip was more about defusing tensions and staving off the danger the Volturi posed to his family and friends than a romantic interlude with Bella. But this was also an important milestone as he would get to spend time alone with his newly found mate for the first time. He was so excited and appreciative that despite the circumstances surrounding their reason for being in Seattle, his family had gone out of their way to make sure he and his new mate had privacy to spend time together.

Immersed in those happy thoughts, he was brought back to reality when he heard her soft footsteps make their way from the bedroom into the living room. "This place is amazing," Bella said, smiling as she walked over to him in her dark blue pajama pants with matching tank top. "So what movie would you like to watch?" she asked as she settled on the couch with her feet tucked under her, leaning into Carlisle's side.

"Well, first off we should get your room service order in," he suggested. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her a little closer, then handed her the menu. "As for movies, I've seen so many, I think it only fair that you choose. Ladies first and all," he said, and he picked up the remote and logged into the hotel's movie streaming service.

"How are you on musicals?" she asked as she looked at the screen.

"I'm quite fond of musicals. Which one would you like to see?" he asked, clicking on that tab on the screen.

"I've really wanted to see _Phantom of the Opera_ for a long time, but really, my mom and dad are just not fans of anything musical so it was always vetoed. In my opinion, watching musicals should be done in the company of others. It tends to depress me a bit if I watch them alone, just because they usually evoke so many feelings and emotions and that kind of reaction is meant to be shared," she said, blushing as he looked at her.

He raised his hand and ran his fingers over her cheek. "I feel very much the same, though Esme, Alice, and Jasper have a liking for musicals as well, so I have been blessed with company for many of them. I very much look forward to seeing them all with you," he added, leaning in to kiss her sweetly on the lips. "So now that we know what we will watch, what would you like to eat?"

"This chicken Mac'n Cheese dish sounds amazing. I wonder if it's anything like the one you can get at Ruby Tuesdays?" she mused, not really asking him for obvious reasons.

"Chicken Mac'n Cheese and _Phantom of the Opera_ it is," he said, and he lifted the phone from the table and placed her food order.

~{}~

"Do you need us? Is there anything we can do?" Edward asked, frowning as he listened to Esme explain the trouble back home. Jasper and Alice wore similar frowns as they all listened in.

"We have the syringes at the ready, we are just waiting for them to decide what she wants. She is willing but wants to make sure she will still be accepted on the Rez after she gains control over herself. The elders who could make it are here; the others are on speaker as they meet. No one wants to cast her out but she won't let us inject her until she is guaranteed she won't be alienated. I don't foresee any problems as long as she is sure of herself and her control before she steps foot on the Rez in a few years," Esme explained.

"No, I don't see a problem either—Alice?" Edward asked, looking at his pixie sister.

"She will be fine. And one of us," she replied. Edward looked at her oddly as he tried to see what she was seeing, only she was employing her blocking tactics by thinking about and picturing other things. At the moment it was a list of new fashions that were coming out next season that she had yet to order.

"How about the three who trespassed and hurt her?" Edward asked, looking back at the phone.

"We caught one, but he is refusing to talk. We will keep him in pieces until you return in three days so you three can work him over for information. Emmett is burying his head and limbs as we speak, and several members of the pack have already volunteered to guard the pieces to make sure there are not escape or rescues," Esme explained.

"Carlisle will not be happy about that measure, tearing him in pieces, but I bet the pack won't have it any other way under the circumstances. The question is, should we tell Carlisle and Bella now? I know they will know eventually, but what would it change besides dampening the mood while they spend some time together alone?" he pondered out loud, looking from the phone to the two family members with him for answers.

Alice frowned. "It will ruin their time together, and while this is no true vacation or anything, why ruin what bit of time they have? They won't get much time alone until this whole thing is over. I say unless something else happens, wait until we are on our way home to tell them. You're right, the only thing it will change is the mood of their time spent together."

"Agreed," Esme said with a sigh.

"Who is going to take on the responsibility of guardianship for her? I mean, obviously we will step in and do what is needed when we are no longer facing this conflict, but we are the rallying point. I don't see how any of us can be spared when we have so many vampires heading our way to either stand with us or try and collect us for their own gains," Edward said, looking at Alice and Jasper.

"Well we already know that Pete and Char are with us. Im sure they wouldn't mind helping in the mean time. The question is would she or the pack have a problem with non-veggie vamps acting as her caretaker for the time being?" Jasper offered.

"Call them up and make sure they are willing. I will bring it up with the pack and see if they are agreeable. Make sure Pete knows not to joke around. If they agree the pack will be leery of them to begin with, and jokes pertaining to human versus animal diet are not going to be well received," Esme scolded, causing Jasper to nod.

"If they agree I know Char can keep him in line," he replied.

"Call us back and let us know what is going on," Edward said before hanging up the phone. He set it down on the dock station to charge and looked at Alice and Jasper. "You said she will be one of us. How will she cope? Even if she chooses this life over death, she grew up thinking the majority of us were evil, which admittedly is the truth. Even striving for a veggie lifestyle, we have no way of knowing how hard that struggle will be for her," he said.

"Actually, she will be among those who are rare for our kind. She's known of this since she was a child, about us and what we are. What we do for food. She will be strong and determined, and more importantly she will have very strong support with our family as well as her soon to be former one and the pack," Alice answered.

"Pete, have you left yet? We have a favor to ask of you and Char," Jasper said as soon as he heard his old friend answer.

"We left a few hours ago. I felt a need to close up the house early. So what do you have for us?" Pete asked over the sound of a loud truck's engine.

"One of the tribe members is about to choose life as a vampire instead of death. Obviously our hands are full and we need you guys to help watch over her after the change. Are you two up for it?" Jasper asked.

"Poor thing, what happened that this is her only choice?" Char asked.

"Three unknowns were snooping around the Rez and she was out at the beach a few miles north of the town when she was set upon. They used her to try and get away when the pack closed in and she was hurt badly in the mayhem. Two escaped and the third is being held in pieces until Edward, Jazz, and I get back to figure out what their motive was, who they are, et cetera," Alice answered.

"You sure these tribal's won't take offense at our personal choice in diet?" Pete asked.

"They will, but they know you are friends and trusted by us so they may agree. They will no doubt want you to behave yourself, though, brother. No trips to the city to show her how you hunt. You'll have to stick to our diet and not cause any trouble on that front," Jasper lectured.

"You're no fun. Char?" Pete asked.

"Count us in, of course. Pete will behave or he will be playing with himself for the next decade," she said, causing Edward, Jasper, and Alice to laugh while Pete made a few choice comments.

~{}~

"You look tired; would you like to go get some sleep?"Carlisle asked Bella, who was still awake but barely, snuggled up to his side.

"Would you mind joining me?" she asked, opening her eyes and blushing when he chuckled.

"Of course I wouldn't pass up a chance to snuggle next to you for hours in bed," he replied, getting up and offering his hand to her.

She smiled and took his offered hand, and after she got in the big bed she chuckled when she saw him come out of the bathroom in black flannel pajama pants and a plain black tee shirt, making his pale skin and light blonde hair stand out all the more. "Flannel, huh?" she asked ask he got in under the comforter and pulled her into his arms, where she could rest her head on his shoulder.

"With you in mind, yes. I wouldn't want you to get cold," he answered softly, kissing her head.

They were silent for a few moments, just enjoying the quiet together before she cleared her throat. "So we were talking before, in the car," Bella began.

"Yes, we were. Would you like to ask my about my past? Ask me anything, really, and I will tell you," Carlisle said, hugging her closer as they lay there looking across the room.

"Well, we both know I am completely inexperienced. So yes, please tell me about your past experience," she replied, glad that he was not looking at her face while she blushed, happy to not focus just yet on her.

"Well, my first experiences with women could not even be called intimacy really. When I was human I rebelled against my father the summer before I was turned and lay with a woman several times who served at a tavern not far from my father's parish. I don't remember much except that her name was Silvia and she got around a lot. After those few times I tried to ignore those urges, and not too long after that I was turned. As for my past experience as a vampire, I've been intimate with only one woman. She was a nomad named Galina who I met while I was staying with the Volturi. She followed me on my hunt one night, curious about my choice of diet. We talked a lot for weeks on our down time when we weren't at court, as it were, with the brothers. She even tried a few animals herself out of curiosity. We were together one night a few months after she started talking with me. She vanished shortly after that one time and I never did find out exactly what happened to her, though I have my suspicions regarding Caius," he said.

"What do you think happened?"

"After she seemed to vanish into thin air, I was not so subtly cautioned one night by Caius to not spread my abnormal lifestyle among our kind. Things grew too tense and I was witness to more of their brutality and power-hungry natures after that. It wasn't even six months after that, after deciding to become a doctor and studying under a handful of established doctors across Europe, that I decided to leave the company of the brothers and made my way towards America."

"So two woman? One human, one vampire?" Bella asked, looking up at him.

"I am very old-fashioned in that I prefer to care for the person I'm intimate with. When I was human, it was simple hormones and peer pressure. When I was with Galina, it was a man's curiosity and I did like her. I wanted to know what could be different about the act between two vampires," he answered honestly.

"Is sex all you did? Have you tried other things?" she asked. She looked at him and blushed, and looked back at where their hands were clasped together on his chest.

"I've had sex and have given and received pleasure with hands. That is the extent of my experience," he admitted. He released her hand and raised her face to look at him. "I have not experienced the pleasure of giving or receiving oral sex. I would never force you to do either unless you wanted to. I just want you to know that whatever you want from me, you will have it. I want it all with you, my Bella. I've waited three hundred years to find the one woman who was meant especially for me. I want to apologize for coming into this relationship without having saved myself solely for you. How I was raised, the time I am from, such things were cherished and important. But I am happy that I will experience some things with you that I have never shared with anything else. I am yours," he said, leaning in and kissing her sweetly on the lips before also placing a peck on her nose, causing her to giggle.

"Well, I am not so old-fashioned really. It's not like I set out to save myself. I just never met someone who I would willing allow to be with me in such a way. But hearing your story, I'm glad I chose to wait and not lose that part of myself in the back of a car or behind some bleachers," she quipped, causing him to lean his head back and laugh. When he looked at her again she said, "I am yours, Carlisle."

"My Bella," he said, kissing her one more time before clasping her hand again in his and falling quiet as she closed her eyes. He could not stop the smile from spreading across his face as he watched her fall asleep in his arms. As his.

 **Author's Note: So… Yeah. I purposely withheld the name of the tribe who was attacked. *ducks* That and the reason I turned here is to come soon. But hey, I did throw in the beginnings of some seriously juicy discussions, and for a certain reviewer, the intro of Pete and Char into this fic lol.**

 **So… Should Bella and Carlisle jump each other while they have the opportunity for some privacy? Or should we draw out their torture for a while? Opinions will be appreciated ;)**


End file.
